Digging Up The Past
by dublin writer
Summary: This is a short story that is set a week after my last story "In Loving Memory". It follows Steve's return to fix up his parent's grave in Modesto. I am posting it here for Mother's Day. Disclaimer:As always the characters do not belong to me but to Quinn Martin. I merely borrow them for my stories and do not profit from their use except in immense satisfaction! :-)
1. Chapter 1

**Digging Up The Past**

 **A/N:** **We already celebrated our Mother's Day here in Ireland back in March but as it is Mother's Day this weekend in many other countries,** **I just wanted to start posting this short story today in order to wish all the writers and readers on this site a very Happy Mother's Day whether you are a Mother yourself or if you are celebrating with or in some sad cases like my own, remembering the good times you shared with that special person who brought you into the world, my thoughts are with you all on this very Special Day.**

Chapter 1

Mike reached up and tipped his fedora back up off his face and blinked as the bright morning sunshine assaulted his newly opened eyes. Sitting himself back up a little straighter from his previous tilted position, he groaned involuntarily as his back muscles protested the position he had been sleeping in and the cramped confined space of his sleeping quarters. Glancing across the front seat of the beige LTD at the young man behind the wheel, Mike saw Steve grin sideways briefly at him before returning his attention to the winding road ahead, the dark sunglasses he was wearing, shading his eyes from view.

"Morning Sunshine ..." Steve said in a light-hearted tone which caused his grin to break into an ever widening smile.

A subdued grunt was the only response from his sleepy companion and Steve laughed when he heard it.

"First lesson of the day. NEVER EVER sleep in a car Buddy boy if you can avoid it. " he grumbled further as he rubbed at his lower back and then at his dodgy knee in quick succession.

"What? That's your only pearl of wisdom on this beautiful Saturday Morning, Mike?" the young man continued teasingly, amused that for once he was getting a rare chance to admonish the older man's sleeping habits and one he fully intended to make the most of for now. "Maybe if you'd gotten a good night's sleep last night like I told you to instead of staying out with the bowling club until the early hours you wouldn't be feeling so unsociable this morning. "

Mike sent an initial scowl sideways at his partner but then his facial expression softened and he began slowly nodding his head in agreement.

"Ok, ok, you're right. I hadn't intended to stay out so late but well ... the guys were shall I say ... ah ... very persuasive. Anyway ... how come you're so bright eyed and bushy tailed this early? Seems to me we're having a bit of a role reversal moment this morning. Normally I'm the bright eyed one and you're the one moaning about your lack of beauty sleep ..."

Another prolonged chuckle broke from the young man at the wheel and he spoke incredulously.

"Bright eyed and bushy tailed? Seriously? "

"Haven't you ever heard that phrase before hotshot?"

Another low chuckle followed before his answer.

"Yeah ... yeah I've heard it but maybe not directly related to me before. "

"Ok ... well I can certainly believe THAT ... but you do seem in good spirits today. What's the deal?"

"That is because I ... unlike you Michael, was in my bed at nine thirty last night and I had a great night's sleep."

Mike looked sideways, his eyebrows lifting in astonishment and disbelief.

"YOU! In bed at nine thirty. And I suppose you expect me to buy that one, do you?"

Steve laughed even louder without taking his eyes off the difficult road conditions of winding bends that lay ahead and the added annoyance of the early morning sun catching his eye line, every so often.

"It's the TRUTH!" Steve stated in a feigned hurt voice.

Mike nodded again skeptically.

"Ok. And ah ... was the reason you were in bed so early last night ok with your early morning departure to pick me up this morning? " Mike threw in casually as he saw Steve's jaw drop and the young Inspector risked a brief sideways shocked look at his older passenger.

"MIKE! Now I'm hurt. For your information, NOT that it's any business of yours exactly, I slept alone last night thank you very much."

Even more taken aback by Steve's sudden serious tone, Mike mellowed slightly and looked suitably admonished.

"Well in that case ... I AM impressed by your early night Buddy Boy. Maybe all those lectures of mine about the necessity of a good night's sleep are finally rubbing off on you after all this time. Sorry ... I didn't mean to assume otherwise."

Hearing Mike's contrite response, Steve's grin widened and he spoke humorously.

"Apology accepted Michael. Well ... we're nearly there and it's only just gone ten o'clock. Hey, I made pretty good time. Not too shabby huh?"

"No, pretty good Buddy Boy. But I ah ... I hope you were observing the speed limits while I was asleep."

Again a feigned hurt expression fell across his face as he swatted across at Mike.

"MIKE! ... I'll have you know I stayed within the safe limits ah ... most of the time anyway but that's another good thing about being in law enforcement. You get to know the hotspots where speed might be a problem." he added while tapping the side of his nose purposefully.

It was Mike's turn to laugh but as they turned the final bend and drove past a road sign indicating the close proximity of Modesto, Mike noticed a sudden but momentary change in his partner's upbeat mood. The down beat expression was quickly disguised by a clearance of his throat as he spoke again enthusiastically, hoping Mike hadn't noticed the sudden change and hoping his sunglasses had disguised most of his visible reaction.

"So Sleepyhead. You need some caffeine to get you back properly to the Land of the Living?"

Mike chuckled but wasn't fooled.

"And just where are you going to find some coffee out here hotshot? You know a place nearby?"

"One step ahead of you for a change Michael." he spoke, a smug grin appearing as he reached down cautiously with one hand, while slowing down slightly, and producing a polystyrene lidded cup from the floor at his feet and handing it carefully sideways to Mike.

Mike took it open mouthed and watched as Steve reached down a second time and produced a paper bag from the floor too and handed that over as well before returning his foot to the accelerator and speeding back up as his two hands returned to the steering wheel.

'I even got those little pastries you like so much."

Mike beamed proudly as he removed the lid off his coffee and drank down a welcome few swallows of the energy filled, jet black elixir. Then balancing the paper bag on his lap, he opened it and picking out a pastry he took a bite and Steve chuckled as he heard the lip smacking noises of appreciation that followed from Mike's lips just afterwards.

"You like those huh?"

" Hmmmm ... Boy they're good. Thanks Buddy boy. Just what the Doctor ordered. But you never said where you got them from."

"Gas station a few miles back while you were sleeping. I filled the tank as well and visited the little boy's room ... " Steve added laughing " ... and you never even budged. "

Mike looked amazed.

"Boy! I must have been out cold alright. Didn't you get something?"

"Yeah ... I ah ... I drank my coffee a while back. "

"You want one of these pastries?"

"No ... no thanks. I'm not hungry yet. "

Mike scowled as he combined that information with the earlier disguised facial expression and finishing his pastry, he watched as the town of Modesto came into view up ahead. He saw Steve fidget in the driver's seat as the young man saw the sight too and he remained silent, wondering if Steve would venture anything else. He didn't have to wait long.

"Ah ... Listen Mike, I ah ... I really appreciate you agreeing to come and help me today on our day off. I guess you could have done with the lie in instead after last night, huh?"

Mike studied the young man who never seemed to take his eyes off the road and swallowing another few mouthfuls of his coffee, he replied enthusiastically.

"No problem Buddy boy. I'm glad you asked me. After last week's escapade, I'm glad you chose to ask for help for the return trip. Are you sure you brought all the stuff you need this time? "

Ah yeah ... I think so. It wouldn't have all fit in my Porsche though with the both of us so thanks for letting us use your car instead."

"No worries. Did you get it all swapped over ok while I was getting myself in gear this morning?"

"Yeah, no problems."

"Oh and did you pack the cooler box and the other bag I left in the hall ?"

"Yeah, they're all in the trunk. What's in those anyway?"

It was Mike's turn to tap the side of his nose secretively.

"Ah ah Buddy boy! That's our surprise picnic lunch for later. You're going to have to wait and see what I brought for your culinary delight."

Steve smiled and drove on but a little bit along the road the LTD veered off left unexpectedly onto a more country type road leaving the town sights behind them as Mike was jostled and rescued his coffee from a certain spillage.

"Hey hotshot! Next time warn me if you're going to make a sudden turn like that will you? I was almost wearing that coffee instead of drinking it." Mike admonished all the while staring at Steve carefully.

Steve reddened slightly as he continued driving, a muttered apology leaving his lips.

"Sorry Mike ..."

Noting a definite change of tone which made the older man slightly nervous he asked curiously.

"What? We don't have to go through town to get there?"

"Well ... we could ... but I prefer to go this way ... "

Steve glanced across at Mike briefly, an unreadable expression on his face as Mike tried to catch what look he held behind the darkened lenses but failed miserably.

"Well ... this looks like a more scenic route anyway Buddy boy. Is this the way you went to it last weekend?"

Steve merely nodded as they drove on in relative silence. This road was decidedly more bumpy than the last one and Steve glanced over anxiously on occasion at Mike who had now finished his coffee and had his arm out the open window, holding onto the roof for dear life.

On one brief glance he caught Mike's eye and definitely went a shade redder.

"Sorry ..." was all he said and Mike wondered what was going on that he would choose a road in such a state over the better road surface into town.

Before long they left the bumpy road and rejoined a better one and Steve visibly relaxed as he saw Mike let go of the roof and stretch a little in his seat. He had hoped Mike was not going to question the last ten minutes of their journey but he frowned behind his glasses as he heard Mike clear his throat and ask his next question.

"What's the deal Buddy boy? Why choose that road over the one into town? Coming to Modesto really makes you uncomfortable, doesn't it? Why is that?"

Steve dry swallowed and kept driving, one hand leaving the wheel to brush through his hair as he carefully thought out his answer. Not feeling up to a lengthy and distressing interrogation, he chose the easiest route.

"What are you talking about Mike?"

Mike grinned, knowing full well what tactics Steve was employing.

"You don't know what I'm talking about huh?" he said noting the wry smile that crossed Steve's face as he heard his words. "Well then let me explain Buddy boy. You know I read people well and not just what they say but all those awkward unspoken words that are there in the silences. "

"Oh yeah? Ok, I'll bite. So what are your sixth senses telling you about me huh?"

Mike sat up straighter rising literally to the challenge.

"Well, seeing all those nuances of yours ..."

"Nuances? Have you been working those crossword puzzles again, Michael?" Steve intervened as a delay tactic, hoping the distraction would put him off his train of thought but Mike just laughed, knowing exactly what he was up to and continued, choosing to ignore the interruption.

"That's right Buddy Boy ... your nuances and the palpable tension that's currently cutting the air in this car like a knife ..."

Steve let out a nervous chuckle and spoke again, trying to sound wildly amused but failing miserably.

"So ah ... what is my palpable tension telling you, huh?"

Mike didn't answer for several seconds, causing Steve to turn briefly to look puzzled at the older man, his raised eyebrows above the glasses the only visible sign that he was feeling anxious about Mike's silence. As Steve's glance met his, Mike spoke sympathetically.

"Well Buddy boy. It's telling me you'd rather be back in San Francisco or anywhere else rather than be here right now. "

Steve's face fell and he stayed staring a little too long at Mike as he turned his attention back to the road just in time to see another car uncomfortably close to their side of the road and he swerved slightly away from it and continued driving, his heavy breathing and the muttered expletive yelled at the other driver, the only two signs of his jangled nerves. Catching Mike's eye he muttered shamefully.

"Sorry about that ... What a clown huh?"

Mike nodded but refused to let the conversation drop.

"Well? Am I right Steve?"

Steve sighed and removing the sunglasses momentarily to wipe the sweat that had built along his brow line away, he then put them back on and spoke more resignedly.

"Yeah ... yeah you're right. But come on Mike. You know my history here. Does my palpable tension really surprise you?"

"No ... No I guess I can't blame you but ... well most people like going " home". I mean you have some good memories here with Harry right? Doesn't that help a little?"

Steve settled back into the driver's seat, starting to feel a little weary and not quite sure if it was from the two hour drive he had just undertaken or the line of questioning that was being forced on him against his will.

"Mike what are you doing?" Steve asked in the same weary sounding way he was feeling.

"What do you mean Steve? I'm just passing the time of day that's all."

"Yeah? Is that all you're doing? Or are you trying to analyze me like one of your case files?"

Steve's tone took Mike by surprise and he muttered apologetically.

"No ... I never intended it to come across like that. I just was curious that's all. Forget I said anything and ... and I'm sorry if my questions were a little too personal, ok? I won't say another word on the subject. I promise."

Mike knew exactly how to play most situations with Steve and had played this time correctly too as he went quiet and saw Steve looking at him sideways for several more seconds before the heartfelt speech came that Mike was expecting.

"Look Mike, Modesto hasn't been my "home" as you put it for a long time and you know what they say? Home is where the heart is right? Well my heart hasn't been here for quite a while either. I just want to get the grave all finished and fixed up and then head straight back to San Francisco before nightfall ... Ok? That's all."

"Fair enough" Mike uttered warmly and then looking around he asked his next question.

"Are we nearly there yet?"

"Yeah, it's just up around the next bend."

Soon they arrived at the two large metal gates that led into the Cemetery. They were gaping open and a man seated in a cabin inside the gate waved them on in. It looked to Mike as if the man inside the cabin had recognized Steve from the previous week but he looked like he was puzzling over the different car he was driving today. As Steve waved his gratitude at the man and drove up the road that ran through the cemetery, Mike chuckled and drew Steve's attention.

"What?"

"Was that same man on the gate last week?"

"Ah yeah ... Yeah I think so. Why?"

"Because he looked like he was wondering where your Porsche went ..." Mike said grinning from ear to ear.

Steve smiled back and continued driving. The cemetery looked like it was fairly large and seemed to extend in a good bit from the main gates. To their left as they drove in was an expanse of newer looking graves and as they came to the middle section, Steve slowed the car to a standstill and wound down the driver's window fully. Mike never said anything but watched as the young man gazed out at the graves in the distance. Feeling that he had pried enough into Steve's past for one day he waited patiently and his patience was rewarded as Steve finally pointed out the window and spoke casually.

"My Grandmother and Harry's grave is over there about five rows in. Just behind where that large stone cross stands ... "

After a further few minutes where Mike watched Steve's unwavering gaze, the older man felt the need to speak.

"You ah ... want to check that one out first?"

That question drew Steve from his thoughts and he sat back up straight and answered as he restarted the car and pulled away again.

"No ... We can take a look at that one on the way out later. There wasn't as much of a clean up needed on that one so it should still be ok from last week."

They drove on further and left the newer section and came to the furthest section of the Cemetery where Steve pulled in to the side and parked. There was a bank of grass heading up to their left and a line of trees along the top. Reaching for the door handle, Steve pointed up the bank and turned to speak to Mike.

"The older graves are up over the bank there. We have to park here and bring the stuff we need up. "

Both men exited the car and came around to the trunk to get what they would need. As they met at the back of the car and Steve started reaching in to pull out a shovel and other tools that he had brought, Mike looked up the bank and couldn't contain his curiosity.

"Steve? Do you mind me asking how come your parents are buried in the older section of the Cemetery? I mean shouldn't they have been in the newer one?"

"Well from what I remember them saying at the time, it had something to do with the fact that they ... ah ... died so suddenly and apparently my Dad had always mentioned wanting to be buried with his Grandfather if anything ever happened. That was ah ... Harry's father and I think that's why."

Steve took the tools and then glanced back up the grassy embankment. A definite shudder ran through him and Mike noticed his sudden shiver. Placing a hand on the young man's shoulder, he spoke in concern.

"You ok Buddy Boy?"

"Yeah ... yeah I'm ok. It's just ... well don't laugh but ... this part of the graveyard kind of ... gives me the creeps ..."

"Why?"

Steve took a long deep breath before leading the way up the grassy bank.

"You'll see ..."

 **A/N: As I have never been to Modesto in my life, these scenes, roads and places I wrote about are borne purely from my imagination. I hope you will forgive my poetic license for the sake of my story ... ;-)**


	2. Chapter 2

**Digging Up The Past**

Chapter 2

Mike watched as the young man walked up the grassy embankment and reaching into the trunk he took up one large tray of plants and some planting tools and closing the trunk after himself he followed him, watching his footing as he went. As Mike reached the top and stepped through the line of trees, he sucked in a deep steadying breath. This part of the Cemetery was definitely the oldest and the graves here were in various stages of neglect and disrepair. He noted perhaps at a guess an expanse of maybe up to two hundred graves but their current state left room for error in his calculations. The difference here though was compared to the open spaced plan of the newer graves these graves were dotted among tall trees and while the trees here and there gave a certain amount of shade in patches from the heat of the sun, their towering presence also gave the overall area a darkened, almost surreal atmosphere of shadow and foreboding.

A lot of the graves were overgrown with brambles and weeds and some of the headstones were cracked or broken, their names long since faded or covered by moss. Some of the graves had sunk visibly and held no trace or sign of a living relative left to tend them. It was a depressing sight and Mike found himself agreeing with Steve about the creepiness of this part of the Cemetery.

Mike saw Steve walking off to his left and quickly followed so that he wouldn't lose sight of the young man. As he picked his way through the neglected graves, he finally caught up with the younger man and found himself whispering.

"Yes ... I see what you mean ..."

Steve turned and cast an uneasy glance towards his partner, an unspoken "I told you so" look crossing his face. His sunglasses now removed and dangling from his jacket pocket, his look held a certain amount of sadness and apprehension as he merely stopped where he stood and glancing down he pointed at a place on the ground where part of the soil had given way recently.

"Watch your step over here. There's been some subsidence in patches. We don't want you falling in and joining the residents, now do we?"

While Steve's voice held a hint at humor, behind the words there was a definite tone of concern that belied his attempt to gloss over his nervousness. Mike nodded and picked his way past the area more carefully watching where he placed each foot and then glancing up he saw Steve stopped and staring at a grave to his left. The grave where he stopped definitely looked like it had been worked on recently and as Mike approached slowly and stood beside his partner, his eyes studied the headstone Steve was staring at. The names underneath had faded just as Steve had mentioned and yet the large name at the top carved out of the old stone clearly read "KELLER". Mike glanced at the grave beside it and saw the amount of thorny bushes and brambles that adorned it. Comparing it to the one they were now standing at, Mike saw with his own eyes the amount of work that had gone into clearing it last week.

The grave itself was fully clear of weeds and there was a small pile of stones just behind the headstone that Mike assumed that Steve had cleared by hand from the soil. There were two pots of Roses sitting in the middle, a little precariously on the uneven surface, one with a Mother's Day message attached that again Mike assumed Steve had left there on his previous visit. He looked up at Steve who hadn't budged and watched his chest rise and fall as his emotions clearly wavered. For one of the rare times in their relationship as partners, Mike felt at a loss for what to say. It felt strange to be standing here at Steve's parents grave and so he merely reached out and grabbed the young man's arm in support and spoke softly.

"You ok?"

Steve never turned to look at him, his gaze still focused downwards but his voice broke the eerie silence in a heart wrenching tone.

"It's hard to believe that they're down there, you know? Right here under my feet. The two people I remember as a kid. "

Mike dry swallowed as he heard Steve's tortured words. He knew exactly how the boy was feeling. He remembered the day as clear as if it were yesterday when Helen's coffin had been lowered into her final resting place. Although Mike's faith comforted him to believe that her spirit was no longer there, the mere thoughts of burying the familiar and much loved remains of his wife into the cold and dark soil had burned a scar into his heart that day and never fully sat well with him ever since but it was part of the never-ending circle of life. Relying on his strong faith as back up, he started to try and comfort Steve.

"Steve, their spirits aren't here ... Just their remains ... that's all. "

Mike's words visibly brought no sign of comfort to Steve so Mike felt he needed to move them on from the current melancholic moment.

"Boy! If your parent's grave looked anything like that one, no wonder your hands and arms were covered in cuts and blisters last Saturday. You be careful you don't open some of those back up today now that they're finally starting to heal."

The talk of the work he had done dragged Steve back from the depths of his sorrow and he forced a half smile at Mike before speaking.

"Yeah ... it was tough going but it still needs to be dug properly and evened out a little. We better get started before the heat of the Midday sun kicks in. It's starting to get hot already."

"Good idea. There's not a breath of wind out here today. I must say I miss the San Francisco sea breezes now. Make sure to remind me not to complain about them again in future, will you?"

Finally a genuine smile returned to Steve's face as the usual banter returned between them along with the realization of the comforting and reliable presence of his partner unlike the eerie loneliness he had felt the week previously while he had worked here alone.

"Yeah, me too. I'd forgotten how dry the air is out here when it's hot."

"Ok, what's the plan of action Buddy boy?"

"Alright. I'll do the digging and if you don't mind sorting the plants for me please and ah ... scrubbing down the headstone, that would be great."

Mike clapped his hands together enthusiastically.

"You got it."

Both men then started working without further hesitation. Steve began digging just enough to turn over the topsoil and even out the area as best he could, but the soil was dry and rock hard and coarse and rock filled and it proved to be an arduous task. As the Californian sunshine began to heat up and blazed down on them through the gaps in the trees, baking them from a clear blue expanse of sky, Steve stopped roughly an hour later, his jacket long since removed and draped over a long handled shovel standing in the ground. His T-shirt was showing signs of the hard work he had put in, a thin line of perspiration now visible down along his spine. He pulled up the bottom of his T-shirt and used it to wipe the sweat from his face and neck. He stood catching his breath and wiped along his brow with the back of his hand, his chest heaving from the exertion.

The digging was progressing nicely but there was still a long way to go to get it to the worrying degree of perfection that Steve had in mind for it and as he stood assessing the enormity of the task he had undertaken, Mike's voice to his right, drew his attention.

"Here, catch Buddy boy." he called out tossing a water bottle in Steve's direction from where he was positioned at the gravestone, shaded somewhat by the tree that stood a short distance behind him.

Catching it gratefully, Mike spoke again, his voice laced with audible concern.

"Go easy with that digging Steve. It's getting very hot. If you're not careful you'll get dehydrated very quickly. "

"Yes Mom ..." Steve stated humorously and then regretted the automatic words as soon as they left his lips, the words that usually made him smile, suddenly feeling highly inappropriate in his current situation and making him feel a little ashamed for uttering them.

Mike saw his reaction and felt sorry for the young man and watched as Steve's gaze continued downwards before he slowly opened the bottle and lifted it, savoring the cool liquid, as he swallowed several mouthfuls down his parched throat. Then he poured some into his hand and wiped it up over his face and the back of his neck as he felt the heat of the sun, burning against his skin. Mike was studying his partner carefully and watched as Steve rubbed at the bridge of his nose and at his eyes, and he spoke again this time in a more authoritative tone.

"Come on, take a break will you? Come over here in the shade for a while otherwise you're going to end up a little on the pink side before too long. Or worse yet you're going to end up with heatstroke. You know ... why you young people don't wear hats is beyond me! I could have loaned you one of my fedoras you know."

That statement broke through Steve's down turned mood and a wry smile appeared on his face

"No offense Mike but I don't think your fedora would suit me. Besides ... it looks better on you ..."

Patting the ground beside him as he turned and sat down himself, Mike spoke again insistently.

"Come on. Get your duff over here for a while ... We've got all day to work on this ... A few breaks in between won't do any harm. COME ON."

Steve stood still, staring at Mike, his breathing still uneven and a resigned smile replaced the wry one. The heat and the feeling that there was so much more left to be done causing a distinct slump in his motivation. Dropping the shovel to the ground carefully, he stepped over the surround stones to where Mike was seated and dropped heavily down onto the ground beside him. Looking at the headstone, now half scrubbed clean and looking decidedly better than it had before he spoke gratefully to the older man.

"You're doing a good job there Mike ... Thanks ... "

"Well you are too Buddy boy. Looks like hard work though. But you're getting there ..."

Steve didn't look convinced and sighed heavily before drinking more from the water bottle in his hand. Mike spoke again feeling the need to rally him around a bit.

"It's not easy work. The ground is very dry. Looks pretty rocky too. But we'll have it perfect before we leave. Don't you worry about that."

Steve smiled again uneasily across at Mike, appreciating his support but feeling more deflated by the minute. Mike noticed the thin line of perspiration down Steve's back and smiled.

"Say I hope you brought a change of clothes for yourself. Otherwise we're going to have to drive back home with the windows open later ... Huh?" Mike spoke teasingly, referring to the perspiration stains that were now spreading across Steve's back.

Steve laughed and drank more water.

"Don't worry ... I brought a change of clothes. Oh Man! It's boiling today ..."

Steve brought his knees up towards his chest and then lay back on his elbows so that his top half was now in complete shade from the blistering sun and stared unnervingly ahead of him. Mike could tell that something was chewing on him and taking a second bottle of water and drinking some from it slowly, he leaned back to join the young man.

"I'll give you a penny ..."

Steve looked sideways at the older man and a curious look crossed his face.

"What?"

Mike grinned.

"For your thoughts ... What's going on in that head of yours, huh?"

Steve smiled at Mike's perceptiveness and shook his head.

"I don't know. It just ... It looks so different here now ..."

Mike's curiosity rose further.

"What? Since last week?"

Steve shook his head again.

"No ... Since ... Since their funeral. I remember those trees looked taller ..."

"Well I think it was more that you were shorter rather than the trees being taller ..." Mike added humorously.

Steve nodded.

"Yeah ... Yeah you're probably right about that. I remember that grassy bank too. Harry was carrying me and ... and I ... I was crying and screaming ... He almost lost his footing on the way down and when he got me to the car I remember seeing everyone staring at us from the tree line on top of the bank. All those eyes ... just staring ..."

"That was a tough thing to go through for a five year old Steve. "

Steve merely nodded and he continued talking, his eyes now focused on his parent's grave.

"You know what's funny Mike? The gravediggers that day freaked me out shoveling soil on top of them and yet here I am digging it up myself all these years later. Ironic ... huh?"

Mike smiled.

"Yeah ... It's amazing how the passage of time changes our perspectives Buddy boy. "

Steve sighed heavily and then taking one more large drink of water, Steve sat back up and spoke.

"Ok ... Better get back to work. It won't dig itself, huh?"

He went to get up but Mike grabbed his arm. "

"You sure you had enough of a break?"

Steve smiled at Mike's overprotective question and nodded.

"Yeah ... I feel cooler now."

"Ok but if you get hot and bothered like that again you come and rest for a bit, alright?"

"Yes Sir! " Steve replied regimentally as Mike lashed out and hit his rear end on his way up.

"Hey!"

Another hour and a half passed quickly as Steve continued the hard part of the digging and had most of it all evened out but it still wasn't as good as he wanted it to be. By now visibly baking in the Midday Sun, Mike was plying him continuously with water to keep him hydrated and made him take two ten minute breaks in the shade in between much to Steve's dismay. Mike had the headstone all cleaned and ready for the names to be repainted on and he also had the plants all ready to be planted. They were making excellent progress but Mike knew Steve was getting uneasy. He watched the young man dig at a particularly stubborn rock that was half buried near the end of the grave and wasn't surprised when he heard Steve suddenly lose his temper and throw the shovel down on the ground and kick at it in frustration.

"DAMN IT!"

Mike rushed over and grabbed Steve's shoulders from behind.

"Ok, ok ... Calm down, will you? "

"I CAN'T get that one OUT Mike ... "

"I know ... I know ... I saw ok? Just take some deep breaths. Steve? I know this is frustrating and I know you want it to be perfect and you're all heated up and hot and bothered ..."

"I AM NOT hot and bothered ..." Steve yelled and then watched as Mike raised an eyebrow and stared at him in partial amusement as he watched sweat drip from Steve's hair and looked at his top now practically soaked through with sweat. Realizing in Mike's look, the irony of what he had just yelled, he finally calmed and ran a hand through his hair that now felt sticky and unpleasant to the touch. Mike saw the change and smiled.

"You're not huh?"

Steve finally chuckled and spoke apologetically.

"Sorry Mike ... You're right. I am. I just ... I just want to get it right you know?"

Mike squeezed Steve's shoulder and spoke caringly.

"Hey! I KNOW you do. And we WILL get it right. I promise you. You've done a great job so far but you're just getting tired. Why don't you go sit down for a few minutes in the shade and let me get that last stone out for you, ok? What do you say? Will you let the Stone look after the stone, huh?"

That made Steve laugh and he nodded wearily. He WAS feeling a little worn out as the overbearing Midday heat drained him of energy. Returning to the shade, he sat back down on the ground and got a drink of water. Pouring some over his head and hair too and shaking his head to dispel the drops of moisture, he basked in the cool shade and watched as Mike expertly dug around the large rock until after ten more minutes he gently removed it and held it up much to Steve's astonishment, pride at his accomplishment showing all over Mike's face.

"How the hell did you get that out? I've been working at that for the last half hour and it hasn't budged."

Mike laughed and explained.

"Well Buddy boy , when you come across a big rock like that, the trick is to chip away at what's holding it up and then you can remove it easily. Actually that works for most troubles in life ... Don't you think?"

Steve listened to Mike's words and knew immediately he was referring to the many large rocks of trauma that still affected him about his childhood in Modesto. With Mike chipping away at everything that troubled him, he figured that with Mike's help he too could probably remove a few of those issues that were bothering him too.


	3. Chapter 3

**Digging Up The Past**

Chapter 3

Steve looked at Mike and knew what he meant and smiled while shaking his head from side to side, the newly poured water dripping from his hair as he did.

"You are really something you know that?"

Mike grinned, proud that Steve had caught the meaning that he had intended him to.

"Well I'm right aren't I? You have some pretty big rocks weighing you down on those shoulders of yours. Don't you?"

"I guess I have my fair share ... Yeah but ... I guess we all have our crosses to bear right?"

"True but. ... well it always seems to me that some have a little more than they deserve."

Steve knew who he was referring to and watched as the older man got up and bringing the large rock with him that he had just pulled from the grave, he got down on his haunches in front of Steve and handed it to him. Steve took it with both hands,the weight of it causing his two hands to drop towards his lap.

"Pretty heavy huh?"

Steve wasn't sure where Mike was heading with this but he went along with it out of curiosity.

"Yeah ..."

You carry enough of those around and it's easy to get stuck in the one place and never move very far. Wouldn't you say?"

Steve smiled, the method in Mike's current madness suddenly starting to become clear.

"Yeah ... With enough of them it would make getting very far difficult. "

"So then you know what a person would have to do to free themselves again, don't you?"

Steve stared at Mike and smiled.

"Yeah ... I think so ... They'd have to ah ... throw some of them away."

It was Mike's turn to smile broadly as he grabbed the back of Steve's neck affectionately.

"That's right Buddy Boy. So why don't you start with this one, huh? "

Steve looked slightly confused and stammered nervously.

"What? Are we still talking hypothetically or ... do you really want me to throw it away ..."

Mike's face turned deadly serious and he leaned forward unnervingly and spoke firmly.

"Chuck it ... Right over there and as you do I want you to say " To hell with it!"

Steve's face darkened and he turned his stare to the heavy rock in his hands.

"Mike ... I ah ..."

"Go on Steve ... Throw it ..."

But Steve never budged and Mike closed his eyes briefly before he finally let the smile return to hang quietly around his lips. Tightening his grip on the nape of Steve's neck he spoke softly, while placing a hand on the rock the young man held.

"You can't ... Can you?"

Steve didn't catch Mike's eye feeling slightly ashamed that he couldn't throw a simple rock away. But it wasn't the rock really. It stood for the things in his heart and mind that it represented. The memories both good and bad that formed him. That made him who he was. To throw them away would be to lose part of himself and as that realization sunk in, he finally looked back up at Mike and spoke in disbelief.

"Wait a minute ... You knew I wouldn't be able to, didn't you?"

Mike's grin widened until it went from ear to ear.

"Well, I wasn't one hundred percent sure but ... I figured you probably wouldn't be able to. But do you fully understand why you couldn't?"

Steve went quiet for several seconds as he tried to get his thoughts straight before explaining to Mike.

"Because they're part of me. All the troubles, the bad times, the things that went wrong. They ... ah ... all made me who I am today, right? "

Steve heard Mike inhale a deep breath and he squeezed the back of Steve's neck affectionately and proudly.

"That's right Buddy Boy and you don't how proud I am of you for figuring that out all by yourself without having to be told. Troubles only become rocks because we let them fester. We let them influence us and hold us back and then they become heavy weights just like that rock there in your hands. Then they drag us down and hold us back and cause nothing but problems. But if we accept them and learn from them and move on, they'll never drag us down."

"So ah ... what you're saying is I don't have to throw them away, I just have to accept that they happened and move on. But Mike ... that's easier said than done you know?"

"Sure ... Sure I know that but you're not fully getting what I'm trying to say."

Steve looked puzzled again so Mike sat down on the ground in front of him and spoke again, pausing to gather his words correctly.

"Listen Steve, we can't forget certain traumas in our lives like ... well, like your parents accident or your Grandfather's death because remembering those times also reminds us of how much we loved them and it keeps them in our thoughts and hearts. I mean without keeping those memories we wouldn't be here today at all fixing up this grave, now would we?"

"No ... No I guess not. Ok ... I see that ..."

"But that DOESN'T mean you have to keep them all. You have one heavy rock weighing you down right at this minute that you could do with throwing away and I'm not talking about the physical one in your hands this time. "

Steve's brow furrowed once more and he shrugged his shoulders in frustration.

"Ok ... Now you've lost me Mike ..."

Mike sighed and then reached out and tapped Steve's temple purposefully, causing Steve to chuckle as he heard the familiar words he knew were going to follow.

"Will you use some of that energy you've got up there. Come on. You know what I'm talking about. I'm talking about that little detour we took today to avoid going into town."

Steve's smile faded and he opened his mouth to protest but Mike spoke first.

"Ah, ah! And before you try to deny it Buddy boy, you're not fooling me, ok? I can even hazard a pretty good guess how it all started too. You probably came here one time and thought ... you know I don't feel like going through town today ... Too many bad memories. But then every time after that you came here you remembered not wanting to go through town the last time you were here until it escalated and then it got to the stage that you'd rather risk your poor car's suspension on that bumpy road than ever go near it! Steve? I'm right aren't I? Is that how it happened?"

Steve reddened slightly and looked down at the ground shamefully. In a barely audible voice he muttered quietly.

"Yeah ... yeah something like that ..."

Mike reached across and placed a hand on his partner's shoulder.

"Steve ... How many times have I told you that avoidance is NEVER the answer to anything?"

Steve looked back up and half smiled at the older man.

"Dozens .."

"That's right ... I mean look at our job for a prime example. Do you remember the first time you took a person's life with your gun?"

Steve's face fell at that question and a haunted look crossed his face as he stared blankly at Mike and merely nodded dolefully.

"Of course you do! It's the same for all of us. You never forget the first or any that come after for that matter but what do they tell us to do to overcome it Buddy boy?"

Steve dry swallowed.

"They ah ... they tell us to hit the firing range and keep using your gun so that you don't get a complex about it."

"EXACTLY! That's my point right there. If you avoided using your gun after an incident what would happen?"

"Mike ..."

"WHAT would HAPPEN Steve?"

"You'd start to hesitate and ... think too much and then ... "

Steve paused as he stared at Mike, knowing the true horror of what would happen in that instance but not wanting to verbalize it.

"And then what Steve?"

Steve could see that Mike was not going to let it pass without an answer so he lowered his gaze and spoke, trying valiantly to keep the shake from his voice.

" And then the bad guys would get the drop on you ..."

"That's right and you'd end up in a place like this! Don't you see Steve? Bad things happen but you can't let it affect what you do or in this case WHERE you go. Which leads me to my second point. Now I know you were very young and probably don't remember much but the first five years of your life that you can recall here in Modesto were happy ones right?"

Steve nodded.

"Yeah ..."

"Ok, and then well ... then things went wrong and the accident changed things and I know things were hard for you for a while but you went to live with Harry and you were happy with him, weren't you? I mean you did all the normal things kids do, right? Went to school, made friends, yes?"

"Yeah ..."

"And then after ten more years tragedy struck again and you went to your Uncle's house. Now you don't have to tell me what that was like. I remember and there probably weren't any good times to speak of there, were there?"

"None that I can recall ... No ..."

"Ok, so how long were you there? Three years or thereabouts?"

"Yeah ... Three years ..."

Just as Mike went to continue Steve spoke again.

"... two months and ... twenty three days ..."

Mike stopped and studied Steve closely, realizing in that last statement the extent of the effect Steve's Uncle had on his bad feelings towards Modesto.

"UH OH! Counted to the day huh?"

Steve nodded, blushing again and trying to lighten the discomfort of the revelation he added humorously.

"Give me another few minutes and I can remember it to the hour ..."

Steve felt another sympathetic squeeze on his shoulder.

"What I'm trying to tell you Steve is you're unknowingly letting that three years, two months ... AND twenty three days color the fifteen relatively happy years that preceded it! And you can't let it do that. "

Removing his hand from Steve's shoulder he placed it on the large rock still nestled in Steve's hands.

"Buddy boy, that's the rock you need to throw away."

Steve met Mike's eye and took a deep breath.

"Just like that, huh?"

"Just like that. Now go on .. THROW IT!"

Steve didn't have to even ask if Mike was serious as the look on the older man's face gave him his answer. Dry swallowing again, Steve moved and got himself up on his feet still holding the heavy rock in both hands. Mike stood up and drew back a little behind him.

"What? Over there?" Steve asked pointing to a fairly over grown patch that held no graves, not too far away from them.

"That's as good a spot as any and there's no-one else here but us ..." Mike encouraged, watching Steve nervously.

Steve stood for several seconds staring at the rock in his hand before glancing back up at Mike.

"Three years huh?"

"That's right, three long years ..." Mike repeated slowly, his eyes never leaving Steve's " ... and don't forget the two months ..." he added purposefully.

Steve smiled.

"Yeah, two months and ... and twenty ... three ... LOUSY days ..." Steve muttered as he suddenly stepped forward and threw the rock with a renewed strength and yelled after it. "TO HELL WITH IT!" as he watched it land relatively silently in the middle of the long grass and there was something immensely satisfying about how it then disappeared from his sight into the undergrowth as the words he yelled echoed in the trees overhead and sent birds into flight as their wings flapped across the blue sky over his head.

When the silence gathered once more, Steve stood breathing heavily, his hands on his hips and Mike gave him a few moments to gather his thoughts. As Steve remained silent, Mike became concerned and took a few steps forward to check on him but to his surprise, Steve heard him approach and turned to face him with a huge smile on his face.

"Oh Man! THAT felt good ..."

Mike's grin returned and widened as he patted Steve's back, not even minding the sweat soaked fabric beneath his hand.

"Now ... Just don't pick that particular rock back up again ... OK hotshot?"

"Ok ... "

"Good man ... So what do you think? Would I give Lenny a run for his money?"

That made Steve laugh out loud.

"Yeah ... yeah I always said you were better at the headwork than him ... "

Mike laughed along with him for a minute or two until both men finally stopped and Steve reached up his arm to grasp Mike's shoulder gratefully.

"Thanks Mike ..."

"Hey don't thank me just yet ..."

"Why not?"

"Because as soon as we're finished here we're taking a trip into Modesto before heading home, that's why!"

"Aw Mike ... "

"Don't " Aw Mike " me Buddy boy. You know you have to ... if for no other reason than to save my older bones from that bumpy road again. Now come on, what do you say we try to get some more work done, ok? It's nearly half past one and it's hot as hell. Did you bring the topsoil I told you to?"

"Yeah ... yeah it's still in the car but is it dug enough yet Mike?"

Mike looked at Steve who was staring at the newly dug grave with a dissatisfied look on his face. Knowing that with the difficult soil conditions they were dealing with, Steve was not going to get it any better than he had already had it, Mike tried to reason with him.

"Steve look, I know you want it to be perfect but you're not going to get it any better than you have it now. Did you bring a rake?"

"Yeah it's over there with the shovel. Why?"

"Trust me will you? Rake it down and then we'll put the new topsoil on it and it will be fine and ready to plant. "

Knowing Mike knew more than he ever would when it came to planting and stuff like this, Steve gave in and agreed to the plan, hoping it would look as ok as Mike said it would when it was fully done. Mike watched as Steve headed back to the car to get the bag of topsoil. His walk held a certain weariness and Mike knew the hard day's digging had taken a lot out of him as well as the Mike Stone enforced therapy session. He only hoped that when the grave was completed Steve would get some comfort and satisfaction from their efforts and that he would feel better about the whole situation.

Steve insisted on doing all the hard strenuous work despite Mike's offers to help, seeing how the young man was starting to flag from the heat and the hard morning's digging he had already done and after another half hour the grave was raked and with a deep layer of new topsoil added, the surface looked much better than before. Steve stood admiring their hard work, sweat now dripping from his brow and body at an annoying rate. He wasn't sure how it was possible but the day had actually gotten hotter and he now stood bare chested, his sodden T-shirt discarded in a heap beside the various tools on the ground, last week's cuts and bruises from the weed clearing still evident in various stages of healing along his sides, chest and back.

"Well, I told you it would work out alright, didn't I? It looks good Buddy boy."

Steve was breathing heavily, leaning on the rake for support as he smiled over at Mike.

"Yeah ... yeah you were right. Looks good. Ok so now ... we just ... have planting ... and painting, right?" Steve panted breathlessly, feeling the innate tiredness in every muscle and sinew of his body.

"Oh no! No, you're going to have a rest first Steve. You look fit to drop. "

"I'm ok Mike ..." Steve lied, anxious to get the grave finished and fearing that if he stopped, the muscles that were now protesting every move would seize up and prove totally useless afterwards.

"Nice try Buddy boy. Now go sit in the shade ..."

"Aw Mike ... Come on ... "

"SIT Steve!" Mike instructed and Steve knew by his facial expression and tone that arguing was not going to get him very far.

Resigned to his fate Steve dropped the rake onto the ground and picked his way sulkily back over to the shaded spot and sunk down onto the ground heavily, wincing as he did involuntarily as his leg muscles protested the move. He whipped his head up, hoping Mike hadn't noticed and saw the older man frowning at him and feared the worst. Sure enough Mike headed purposefully towards him and Steve groaned as he awaited the tortuous fussing that he knew would follow.

"What's wrong with your legs?"

"Nothing's wrong with my legs Mike, they're just tired that's all. "

"Don't you give me that. I saw you wince. Are your calf muscles hurting from all that bending and digging?"

"Mike, just leave it will you. They'll be fine. "

"Sure ... sure they will. Stretch out your legs. COME ON!"

"NO! I don't want to ... "

Annoyed and frustrated by Steve's stubbornness, Mike sent his Stone glare in Steve's direction and after enduring it for a tense minute or two Steve stretched out his legs and grumbled under his breath.

"Oh for heaven's sake ..."

Mike grabbed Steve's right leg first and starting massaging the calf muscles as Steve tried to contain the strong urge he had to yell from the pain Mike's ministrations were causing. He held his breath and tensed his leg and it was only when Mike moved on to his left leg which Steve found to be a little sorer than the other, that Steve finally couldn't help letting out a small yell of pain as the muscles contracted under Mike's strong hands.

"OW! Easy Mike ... That hurts!"

Mike continued strongly massaging the tight muscles but spoke without taking his eyes from the task at hand.

"Just tired huh? Steve your muscles are in knots! You're going to be sore as hell tomorrow, not to mention the fact that your shoulders are probably every bit as sore ... not that you'd TELL me if they were " he added in annoyance. "I could have helped with some of it if you'd LET me. I may be a lot older than you are but I'm not over the hill just yet. I can still handle a bit of digging you know?"

Steve knew he was right and worried from Mike's frustrated sounding tone that the older man was mad at him. He winced again as Mike worked the knots expertly from his muscles and spoke in a contrite tone.

"I know you can Mike. I'm sorry ... I just ... I just didn't want you to hurt yourself working on MY parent's grave that's all ... I mean ... it's kind of my responsibility right? And ... and I'm sorry ..."

Steve's downhearted apology dissipated Mike's annoyance and he looked up from his first aid to smile warmly at Steve.

"Well, I guess the hardest part of the work is done now anyway. But you're going to wait there for a bit and rest up before we do any more and NO arguments this time. I'm going to bring up the cooler box and get you something else to drink. You've lost gallons of sweat today working in this heat and you need to replace the fluids. Dehydration can cause muscle cramps like that too ... Now will you PLEASE humor me and sit there until I get back with it from the car?"

Steve smiled back and nodded agreeably as he watched Mike disappear over the grassy bank. Then he lay back on the ground and closed his eyes as the weariness washed over him. In the silence, Steve swore he heard something moving somewhere behind him. Despite his sore muscles, he sat up quickly, his eyes darting back and forth as he looked for a source of the noise he had heard. He listened again and heard more grass rustling and a cold shiver swept over him and seemed to creep down the middle of his bare back. He heard the definite sound of metal hitting stone and started breathing heavily, as he began to wonder if his mind was playing tricks on him in the super creepy atmosphere. Before he could find a plausible answer, Mike appeared back up over the grassy bank and headed towards him with the cooler box in his hand.


	4. Chapter 4

**Digging Up The Past**

Chapter 4

As Mike approached, he saw Steve looking behind him nervously.

"Steve? What's the matter? You look like you've just seen a ghost."

Steve glanced back at Mike.

"Not seen one. Heard one. Something was moving behind me Mike. Listen. "

They both listened in silence for several seconds but typically nothing was heard.

Mike chuckled and set down the cooler box on the ground.

"I don't hear anything. I think you're just letting your imagination run away with you Buddy boy in our current surroundings. "

Steve scowled.

"It was NOT my imagination Mike. I heard something MOVING!"

"Alright, alright. Maybe you did. It was probably just some form of wildlife you disturbed when you threw that rock, that's all."

"Not unless an animal can use a metal tool Mike. I also heard metal hitting stone."

Mike stared at Steve unnervingly for several seconds and then reached out and placed the back of his hand against Steve's forehead much to Steve's annoyance as he swatted it away.

"I hope you're not getting heatstroke. You sure feel awful hot. "

"I am NOT getting heatstroke and I was NOT hearing things Mike." Steve said in a frustrated tone, starting to get annoyed by Mike's refusal to believe he actually heard something.

"Ok, ok you heard something. Alright? But there's no other cars here Steve. And nobody passed us. There's probably some innocent explanation for whatever noise you heard."

Steve sighed again and ran a hand across the back of his neck which felt sticky and clammy to the touch. Resigning himself to the fact that Mike was right and satisfied for now that Mike at least believed he heard something, he nodded agreeably.

"Yeah, yeah you're right. And ... maybe I am letting this place get to me. Sorry Mike ..."

Opening the cooler box and grabbing another cold water bottle from it, he handed it to Steve and smiled.

"That's alright. Here drink up. "

Steve took the water offered and twisting the cap off he took a long drink of the cooling liquid and then placed the cold bottle against his cheek, savoring the cold sensation in contrast to the burning heat of the sun. He drank some more and then cast another surreptitious glance behind him. Mike noticed and was becoming concerned.

"Hey ... Would it make you feel better if we go check it out?"

Another cold shiver washed over him as he looked off into the trees behind him. That part of the cemetery was even more neglected and in disrepair than where they were now. It really wasn't worth the risk to either of them just for the sake of proving he heard something and after all Mike was probably right. It WAS probably just an animal of some kind. Returning his glance up to where Mike was standing over him, he shook his head and smiled.

"No ... No that's ok. Forget it ... Look let's just finish up what we started, alright?"

Steve pushed himself back up on his feet a little too quickly and swayed where he stood as a strong wave of dizziness washed over him and everything in his line of vision suddenly tilted alarmingly. Luckily Mike was within his reach and grabbed him firmly by his upper arms and lowered him expertly back down onto the shaded patch of ground.

"Whoa now. Hold your horses, will you. Look at me Buddy boy. You dizzy?"

When Steve didn't answer straight away, Mike grabbed Steve's chin gently and forced the young man to look at him. His green eyes were a little unfocused and Mike immediately flew into action.

"Alright that's it! I knew it. You're suffering from heat exhaustion and if we don't nip it in the bud, it could get serious. Sit down. COME ON! Do as I tell you. " Mike ordered, leaving no room for argument as he placed his hands on Steve's shoulders and pushed him gently back down onto the shaded patch of ground behind him. By now Steve had come around better and was protesting in typical fashion.

"MIKE? What are you doing? I'm ok. Will you please stop fussing. I am NOT suffering from heat exhaustion. I just stood up too fast that's all."

He attempted to get up again but Mike's hands held him firmly not allowing him to budge as he spoke in a more authoritative but concerned tone.

"Yes you ARE. Steve, you're displaying ALL the signs of it. Now you're going to SIT there until I tell you it's ok to move. Have you GOT THAT?"

Mike's serious and loud tone stopped Steve from trying to get up anymore but the clear exasperation still showed on his face as he shrugged his shoulders and shook his head.

"Aw come on Mike ... What signs?"

Mike let go of Steve's shoulders, satisfied that he had made his position clear and with a pointed finger against his other palm he counted out the symptoms convincingly.

"You're sweating heavily, you have muscle cramps in your legs, your skin is cool and yet clammy, your breathing is labored, you're irritable and now you've just been dizzy. And if I'm not mistaken WHICH may I add I don't think I am, your heart rate is elevated too ..." Mike added, grabbing Steve's wrist quickly before he could protest and checking his pulse rate.

Mike held his wrist firmly as he felt him try to pull from his grasp and then saw Steve shake his head and give up as he realized resistance was futile.

"Yep, just what I thought ... Hammering like hell. You're badly dehydrated Steve and that can be dangerous. You're doing NO more work on this grave until we get you properly hydrated again and THAT'S final hotshot! "

Steve's jaw dropped and he shook his head in disbelief.

"WHAT? Mike for God's sake. I haven't stopped drinking water all day. How could I be dehydrated?"

"EXACTLY! You've just made my point for me."

"What?" Steve asked confused.

"You just don't get it, do you?"

"No, I don't know what you're talking about Mike."

"Alright, alright. Let me spell it out for you. When did you go to the bathroom last?"

At Mike's very personal question, Steve's exasperation turned to amusement and he chuckled a little to himself as he spoke humorously.

"What? You asking if I need to go?"

"Very funny, Wiseguy. You heard what I asked you. WHEN?"

Steve shook his head and laughed but then noticed Mike wasn't joking and his face remained deadly serious.

"Come on, you're kidding, right?"

Mike just glared at him in response and so he flustered in an embarrassed tone.

"I told you earlier. I ah ... I went when we are at the gas station on the way here this morning ... but Mike, what on earth has that got to do with anything?"

"It has EVERYTHING to do with it. That was what about nine? Nine thirty?"

"Yeah around that I guess ..."

"And how many bottles of water have you drank since we got here?"

Steve hadn't been counting and shrugged his shoulders.

'I don't know, I wasn't counting. A couple I guess."

"Well I WAS. Four Steve. You drank FOUR, ok? And it's now almost two o'clock yet you haven't needed to go to the bathroom, have you? Not once."

Steve half laughed, half shrugged, slightly uncomfortable with the current topic of conversation and also still highly confused as to the point Mike was trying to make.

"So I have a strong bladder. What? You're telling me that proves I'm dehydrated?"

"Yes ..."

"Aw Mike ..."

"Steve, you're sweating out more than you're taking in and combined with all the other symptoms and all the salts and minerals you're losing too, that makes you dehydrated. Trust me will you? I know about this stuff, ok?"

Steve shook his head again incredulously and starting chuckling again .

"Ok, ok I'll bite. How do you know all that crazy stuff about dehydration and heat exhaustion or whatever you called it huh? What have you been doing? Watching those medical programmes again, huh?"

Mike's face remained serious as he spoke.

"No ... I learned it in the Marines."

Steve's smile faded and he stared unnervingly at Mike.

"In the Marines?"

"Yeah. Well we went to hot places and we had to carry heavy packs and ... So we ah ... had to watch each other for signs. "

Steve dry swallowed and looked mortified.

"Mike ... I ah ... Look I'm sorry. I ... I didn't mean to make light of it. I didn't realize ..."

Mike smiled and slapped Steve's shoulder playfully.

"That's ok ... I know you didn't. But will you at least LISTEN to me now, huh?"

Steve smiled and nodded as Mike grabbed the back of his neck and squeezed in their usual familiar playful camaraderie.

"Yeah, yeah ok ... So ah ... What do you want me to do? Just sit here? I mean please don't tell me we have to come back and finish this another day because ... I ah ... I really want get it finished today Mike ..."

"No ... I just want you to rest for a little while ok? Oh and here ..."

Reaching into the cool box he produced a bottle and handed it to Steve.

" ... Drink this too, will you? "

"What is it? " Steve asked as he turned the bottle and read the label and smiled even more.

"Gatorade, huh? You brought sports drinks?"

"Well I knew it was going to be hot and ... I guess I kind of knew you wouldn't let me help with the hard work so ... I ah ... I figured you'd be needing it. Go on! Drink up. It will replace any minerals you've lost. That and a rest should see you ok in about thirty minutes or so."

Steve shook his head in amazement at the older man and then twisted the cap from the bottle and sipped at it slowly. He then watched as Mike took his crisp white handkerchief from his pocket and doused it with the ice water in the cooler box and before he had time to protest, Mike turned and placed it on the back of Steve's neck.

"Hey Mike. That's COLD!"

It was Mike's turn to laugh.

"It's supposed to be hotshot. That will cool your temperature down a bit. You know your back is little bit red too? Did you put on sunscreen this morning? "

"Not on my back ... no! That's not exactly an easy thing to do on your own, you know?"

As Mike's face scowled, Steve felt the need to defend himself further.

"WHAT? Well it ISN'T. And besides I had a T-shirt on. I didn't expect it would be so hot, I'd end up having to take it off, now did I?"

"Ok ...ok ... I guess you have a point but you're going to feel that tomorrow. You know I think I might have some after sun lotion in the glove box ..."

"MIKE, it's fine!"

Steve rolled his eyes at Mike's parental type fussing and it reminded him suddenly of a long time ago when he was a kid with Harry, when his Grandfather would always ritually perform what Steve had come to affectionately refer to as the "Five Question Interrogation technique" almost every time he left the house. He smiled as he could almost hear Harry asking them again in his head. Mike noticed that he was in a world of his own and nudged him gently.

"Hey ... You still with me Buddy boy?"

Steve startled out of his memories and smiled, a hint of colour blushing his cheeks.

"Yeah, sorry. I was ah ... a million miles away."

"I could see that. You want to share?"

Steve grinned and took another few sips of the sports drink before answering.

"Oh ... It was nothing. You ah ... you just reminded me of Harry there for a minute."

"What? Fussing about your sunburn?"

Steve nodded.

"Yeah ... You see every time I left the house he'd ah ... he'd ask me the same five questions and well it kind of became a ritual. He'd ask, where are you going? Who are you going with? Have you got your sunscreen on? Have you been to the bathroom?"

At that last question, Steve chuckled a little more as their earlier conversation came back to his mind ironically.

"And ah ... What time are you going to be back? I mean he'd ask other questions sometimes like if I needed a lift or how was I getting there? Things like that but ... those five were the usual ones. "

Mike grinned at Steve's reminiscences.

"Sounds about what I used to ask Jeannie too. Guess it's a Parent/ Grandparent thing. Just you wait. Someday you'll be asking your own kids those questions and then you'll understand better why we ask them."

Steve laughed.

"Yeah, yeah maybe ..."

Steve removed the handkerchief from the back of his neck and suddenly lay back down on the ground, one arm tucked behind his head for a pillow of sorts and the other hand. balancing the sports drink now on his bare chest. He placed the icy water drenched handkerchief now on the front of his neck and between that and the ice cold bottle, they both added some cool relief to his overheated torso. Every now and then he would lift his head to sip at the drink. Mike sat quietly and watched him, a little perturbed by Steve's current contemplative and nostalgic demeanor. After several seconds of quiet thought, Steve seemed to remember Mike's presence and smiling he turned his head in Mike's direction.

"Some day huh? You know it's kind of surreal, me lying next to my parents grave like this with them somewhere beneath ..."

He stopped before finishing his sentence as his face darkened slightly as if he regretted speaking in the first place. Mike spoke sympathetically.

"You want to sit someplace else?"

Steve shook his head and smiled at Mike's thoughtfulness.

"No ... No it's ok."

"Fixing up their grave means an awful lot to you, doesn't it?"

"Yeah ... yeah it does. Look I know this is going to sound kind of dumb Mike but ... well it's the first thing I've ... well I've been able to actually physically do for them, you know?"

Mike looked at Steve curiously.

"What do you mean Steve?"

Steve took a deep steadying breath and then suddenly sat back up, bending his knees up towards his chest, he wrapped an arm around them and drank more before he seemed to find the courage to answer.

"Well ... I mean I never got to make them stuff in school when I was a kid like the others did for their parents. I didn't get to buy them presents or when I was older plan surprise parties for them, you know, like the one Jeannie threw for you last year."

"Hey, don't remind me. Surprise parties I can live without Buddy boy. Trust me on that one."

Steve laughed and swatted the older man teasingly.

"Don't give me that. You had a ball. Seeing all the older guys you used to work with. I saw you laughing and chatting with them all night. Jeannie put a lot of work into organizing that, you know? "

"Oh I know and so do you seeing as you did most of the detective work for her" Mike added accusingly.

Steve's face fell and his face visibly reddened.

"Who told you that? Jeannie didn't tell you that did she? " Steve added horrified that she would rat on him about that fact after he had made her promise not to reveal her sources.

Mike started to laugh.

"You just did Buddy boy ..."

Realizing he had just given the game away himself unwittingly, he shook his head at his own stupidity and smiled at Mike's craftiness.

"Oh Man! You are something else ... I can't believe you just caught me out like that."

Mike patted Steve's arm and laughed again.

"Sorry ... That was sneaky, I know but I always had my suspicions about that fact anyway and ... and you were right. I did enjoy it so thanks for helping out. It must have taken a lot of work to find out about all the guys I worked with AND then to locate them."

"It took a while yeah ... But then between you and me, I had a little help from Pam down in Records."

"Pam? What the girl with the face full of freckles?"

"No, that's Gloria. Pam is the one with the hourglass figure and the voice of an angel. She's a pretty good cook too."

At that statement Mike's eyebrow rose and he stared at the younger man.

"She cooked for you? What? At her place?"

Steve grinned wider.

"Well there was a lot of information to process Mike. It ... well it took a little over time to go through it all. "

"Uh huh ... Yeah, I'll bet it did ... And before you go into any more details I don't even want to know how you repaid the favor, ok?"

Steve laughed and Mike shook his head incredulously at his partner's way with women.

After a few minutes, Steve's laughter stopped and his face darkened again. Watching him closely, Mike wondered what was coming next. He didn't have to wait long.

"You know what the worst thing was though Mike?"

"What's that?" Mike asked cautiously as he worried inwardly about Steve's sudden melancholy.

"Mother's day ..."

Mike's blood ran cold as he heard the angst behind those two spoken words. He didn't push or reply but waited patiently for Steve to continue, which he did after another minute of painstaking silence.

"Father's day wasn't quite as bad. I mean I had Harry and I ah ... I could make him a Grandfather card but on Mother's Day, I'd sit in class and watch all the other kids make their special cards and it ... it really hurt you know?"

Mike's heart sank as he thought of a smaller version of Steve, sitting in class hurting inside as the others made Mother's Day cards, oblivious probably to his pain and inner turmoil. Clearing his throat he spoke sympathetically.

"Well the teacher must have known your situation. Didn't he or she give you something else to do while they were doing that?"

Steve stared off ahead of him into space and Mike reckoned he was remembering those painful times in his head in vivid detail. Without coming out of his trance he answered in a matter of fact tone.

"No, not really. She just let me draw pictures instead. You know I ah ... I used to draw the same picture every year. I used to draw my Mom in the sky, like she was sitting on a heart shaped cloud and I'd draw myself underneath and she'd be waving down at me. "

A lump started to manifest in Mike's throat as he listened to the sad and heart breaking story of parts of Steve's childhood. He had known that maybe working on the grave today with Steve would most likely conjure up some painful memories and thoughts but he hadn't quite imagined them to turn out to be as heart breaking as they were.

"You know I can still see that picture in my head as if it was only yesterday Mike."

Steve's face saddened considerably but then after another minute he seemed to snap out of it and looking up to meet Mike's sympathetic gaze he flustered and brushed a hand through his hair.

"Oh man! I'm sorry Mike. I guess this place is getting to me in more ways than one. I was getting a little morbid there for a while, huh? "

Mike patted Steve's arm again and smiled warmly.

"Maybe just a little but ... well it's to be expected. Cemeteries always dredge up memories. Some good, some bad."

"Yeah ... Yeah you're right. It's just that ... By doing the grave up ... I ... I feel like I'm finally doing something good for them you know?"

Mike leaned over and grabbed the back of Steve's neck and squeezed again as Steve closed his eyes briefly at the sensation.

"Steve, every day you go and do your job and save people and get justice for people, and let's face it, just live your life the best you can, you do something good for them. You make them proud. You must know that Steve?"

Steve stared back at the older man, his eyes momentarily heartbroken and sullen.

"But I DON'T know that Mike. I mean ... that's what people have always told me but ... That's too vague Mike. It's too uncertain. You know what I'm saying? They're just words Mike. They're not the same as physical proof. They don't replace a pat on the back or just a look in their eye that says that. Or even a squeeze on my neck just like you're doing now. Nothing Mike but ... hollow memories and feelings and just ... just nothing ..."

Mike's fingers contacted more firmly on the back of his neck and he spoke solemnly.

"Well maybe they're speaking through me, huh? Did you ever think about that? ... Well?"

Those words froze Steve where he sat and he thought of how fortunate it had been that he had met Mike and had been assigned as his partner and for the first time contemplating Mike's words he wondered if maybe his parents could have been responsible for steering him along the path he had eventually ended up on and with an even wider grin spreading across his face he patted Mike's shoulder back and spoke emotionally.

"Now THAT ... that I could believe ..."


	5. Chapter 5

**Digging Up The Past**

Chapter 5

A companionable silence settled between Steve and Mike after that insightful revelation. Having finished the sports drink, Steve once more lay back on the ground, his right arm up behind his head and he seemed to be studying the sky above him with a sudden melancholic interest. Mike had grabbed a soda from the cool box and still seated beside the younger man, he drank and surveyed the area around them. He hadn't minded Steve's quietness at the start knowing that what he had said would no doubt bring thoughts to his mind that would need processing but now as the silence lengthened, Mike felt that perhaps too much time to think was almost as bad as having none at all so he spoke to bring the young man back to the present.

"Say Steve? Was this part of the graveyard always this run down? I mean don't people complain about how it's been left?"

Mike's tactics worked and he heard Steve sigh heavily but then look back in his direction, thankfully as far as Mike was concerned seeming to take an interest in his question.

"As far as I can remember, yeah it's always been pretty bad but obviously even since way back then it's deteriorated further. I think we were lucky though. The graves up on this section are fairly stable. It's the ones over further and down the slope behind us that seem to be the worst affected by the subsidence and anyway Mike who is left to complain? Most of these graves here are so old that most of them don't have anyone to tend them anymore. So I guess they feel why waste money on making it safer. You know how it works Mike."

"Yeah, don't I just ... Does it ever ... well ... bother you?"

Steve smiled as Mike's sixth sense appeared to be working overtime again. He shrugged his shoulders and answered.

"Yeah ... yeah I guess it does a little sometimes. I mean I do wish sometimes that they had been buried down in the newer plot where Harry is. It's more peaceful down there and kept better. Up here it's more depressing, you know? Seeing the neglect and the ... forgotten graves ... But what can you do, huh? "

Mike heard the tone of regret and uneasiness in Steve's answer and shrugged his shoulders as he wondered whether to broach the following subject or not. Eventually deciding there was no real harm in it, he ventured cautiously.

"Well ... You could have them moved you know. I mean that is if it really bothered you. There are procedures you can go through to make that happen ..."

Before Mike could continue, Steve shot back up into a sitting position and flustered accordingly.

"Wait a minute. Are you taking about exhumation?"

"Well I was just saying that you always have that option that's all."

"Oh no Mike ... No, that wouldn't feel right ..."

Mike noticed Steve shudder as he even contemplated the idea and heard him continue.

"No, disturbing them like that would feel wrong and besides if it was my Dad's wish to be buried with his Grandfather then I wouldn't want to mess with that, you know?"

Mike saw how much that suggestion disturbed his young partner and suddenly regretted ever broaching the subject. Placing a calming hand on Steve's shoulder he apologized profusely.

"Yes, you're absolutely right. Look, I'm sorry I ever mentioned it Buddy boy. "

"That's ok Mike. I know you were only trying to help. Listen, I know it's not exactly been a half an hour yet but can we please get back to work? I ah ... I feel a lot cooler and better now."

Steve's skin where his hand was, did feel decidedly cooler and he didn't look as flushed in the face as before. The sports drink was gone and the rest had seemed to help the young man. Deciding that maybe getting the task they had started finished would be the best medicine for him right now, Mike reluctantly agreed.

"Ok, I guess most of the hard work is behind us anyway at this stage. But if you feel dizzy or get hot like that again, you had better ..."

"... Go sit in the shade and rest. I KNOW Mike and I WILL, ok? ... Thanks."

Steve beamed his familiar cheeky smile at the older man's unrelenting fussing and Mike smiled back, knowing that he had at least got his point across as to what he needed to do if he felt flaky again. Standing up and reaching out a hand to pull Steve up as well, he hoisted the young man back up on his feet, but heard Steve sigh as he only allowed him to rise as fast as Mike felt was safe for him to, after his last bout of dizziness. As they both stood, Mike clapped his hands together enthusiastically and announced happily.

"Ok, so we have planting and painting left. Which one do you want to do?"

Steve smiled at Mike's infectious enthusiasm and chuckled.

"Are you giving me a choice?"

"Absolutely. What's your preference Buddy boy?"

"Well to be honest and seeing as you're asking, I'm ... well I'm not that good at planting Mike. I was kind of hoping that maybe you ah ... you could do that part for me?" Steve finished tentatively, watching Mike closely for his reaction.

He was rewarded for his close scrutiny by a growing smile that slowly spread across Mike's face and one that immediately put the younger man back at his ease.

"Oh you did, huh?" Mike jibed lightheartedly.

Steve laughed but with a deep flush of embarrassment replied.

"Ah yeah ... I was kind of hopeful ..."

Mike's laughter joined Steve's.

"Well to tell you the truth I'm glad. Seeing as we're being honest here, I'm not too hot at painting either Buddy boy."

Instead of his laughter continuing, a mischievous grin appeared on Steve's face and he spoke as seriously as he could manage under the circumstances.

"Ah yeah, I know that ... I had kind of figured that into my calculations ..."

Mike's face sobered and he stuttered in disbelief.

"What?"

"Yeah ... I've seen your garden fence ... Remember?" Steve replied unable to contain the giggling that he was forcing back on seeing Mike's stunned reaction and purposefully stepping back as Mike lunged playfully for him as he took in the young man's words.

"My fence! ... Wiseguy, huh? ... " Mike began as he stepped forward and grabbed the back of Steve's neck teasingly and shook him gently for his chiding as Steve giggled and tried to wriggle from the older man's grip.

"Ok, ok I'm sorry. I was just kidding with you ... Ow! Watch the sunburn Mike ..." Steve pleaded through the fit of the giggles that persisted.

Mike released Steve's neck as the young man had winced and squeezed his shoulder instead as he giggled right along with him, finally stopping enough to respond

"My fence indeed! ... Although ... you are right Buddy boy ... Painting is not my strong point and besides ... I ran out of paint half way through and couldn't quite get the new one to match up exactly ..."

That made them both laugh again and when the laughter finally subsided, Steve slapped Mike's shoulder back in a sympathetic gesture.

"Your fence is not that bad Mike. I was just fooling with you. "

Mike smiled and was pleased at how the simple playful camaraderie had succeeded in boosting the young man's flagging spirits noticeably.

"Now you're just being kind but ok ... I appreciate the kindness. So, you're painting and I'm planting. Right? Let's get the stuff we need from the car and get started, ok?"

Steve nodded and they started back down the slope towards the car. Opening the trunk, a breeze picked up suddenly and Steve shivered as he stood at the trunk still bare chested. They both looked up to see clouds starting to appear and cover the sun occasionally in their passing.

"Weather's changing slightly Buddy boy. Looks like it's going to get a little cooler. You might wanna think about putting your spare T-shirt on."

Steve nodded but was still looking more perturbed at the sky.

"You don't think it will rain, do ya?"

Mike shook his head and continued reaching in to the trunk to get the planting tools he needed. Speaking while still in the cavernous trunk, his words echoed slightly back towards Steve.

"No, don't worry. It's not forecast. Come on, let's get a move on. It's almost two thirty and I'm starting to get hungry. Let's get as much as we can done in the next hour and then stop to eat ok?"

Steve didn't reply and so when Mike stood back up he stared over at him in concern and saw him looking around anxiously and swore he saw him shiver again.

"What's the matter Steve? You feeling alright?"

Steve snapped back to the present and blushed slightly.

"Oh yeah ... yeah, just ... someone stood on my grave there for a minute ..."

He stopped as the familiar saying left his lips as he realized how inappropriate his words sounded in his current environment and he shrugged his shoulders in discomfort.

Mike smiled and teased.

"Well let's hope not ... Come on, get your stuff together and follow me up. "

When Steve didn't answer a second time, Mike's gut instincts kicked in and he shouted back as he went.

"STEVE?"

"Yeah, yeah ... I'm fine. I'm right behind you."

He watched Mike head back up the slope with his tools, the tray of plants having been brought up already earlier. He went around to the side of the car and opening the side door and reaching into the back seat, he pulled a small hold all bag towards him and pulled a clean T-shirt from it. Closing the door again, another cool breeze washed over him as he looked up and down the deserted roadway, getting a sinking feeling but not sure exactly why. Pulling the T-shirt up over his head and down his torso he struggled both arms into it as the sunburn on his back protested the fabric's grating movement across it and as he got it fully on, he groaned slightly at the discomfort it caused. He returned to the trunk and gathered the two small pots of paint, one black and one red and the brushes, cloths and the bottle of white spirits he had brought from San Francisco and then with one more uneasy glance back up at the slope he shrugged off his annoying disquiet, closed the trunk and headed back up after Mike.

When he reached the grave, the sun had disappeared behind a passing cloud again and made the area look darker and more foreboding than before. He saw Mike on his knees counting the plants within the tray and he set the painting things down beside the headstone quickly as he suddenly felt a strange desire to finish this job up quickly and head back home. He could feel Mike's eyes boring into him from behind and therefore wasn't surprised when he heard Mike move and felt the hand on his shoulder.

"Steve? ... You sure you're feeling ok? Only you're ah ... acting a little strange all of a sudden."

Steve glanced behind him, straight up into the concerned looking eyes of his partner.

"Yeah ... yeah I'm alright Mike. I just ... feel a little shivery. Does that tie in with your symptoms of dehydration?" he joked, half-heartedly trying to shake the uneasy feeling that wouldn't seem to leave him alone.

"No ... no I'd say that has more to do with our environment than anything else."

"Mike? I ah ... I have a real bad feeling in my stomach ..."

Mike's face grew darker as he bent lower towards Steve.

"What? Are you feeling sick?"

Steve chuckled nervously.

"No ... no, not THAT kind of bad feeling. You know that feeling when you're chasing after bad guys and you chase them into somewhere dark and unfamiliar and you get a strange feeling right in the pit of your stomach where you know something bad is going to happen but you're not sure what or when but you just know you have to be ready for any eventuality?"

Mike pulled back slightly to study Steve's facial expression and wondered what had caused him to feel like that here of all places. He knew that feeling all too well and it was one that he too equally despised but knew was necessary in order for their survival instincts to kick in and help them in situations like that one Steve had just described.

"Yeah ..."

"Well I feel like that now and I'm not really sure why."

More than slightly concerned by the young man's shaky admission, Mike felt his own uneasiness starting to kick in as he wondered what had triggered that sixth sense in the young man and feeling too that the job would be better off completed sooner rather than later so that he could get Steve back on the road to San Francisco and out of his tortured memories and away from the ill feelings that were currently plaguing him.

"Well Steve ... Here's what I think about it ... For what it's worth anyway. You're here in a rather creepy part of this Cemetery beside your parents grave and you're letting it get to you. Hearing noises, remembering long forgotten memories and maybe not looking forward to heading into Modesto later, huh? I'd say that's all it is. Ok? Come on, the sooner we start, the sooner we finish, ok? The painting will take your mind off things. So ... Do you have a plan for how you want these plants planted or are you leaving that up to me too?" Mike added, hoping the question would focus his thoughts on their task in hand and not on whatever mysterious niggle that was quite visibly chewing on him.

Mike smiled as his question worked and Steve suddenly reached into his trouser pocket and pulled out a small slightly crumpled notebook page from his pocket.

"Well ... Seeing as you asked, I have an idea that I thought would be nice."

Unfolding the piece of paper, he held it out towards Mike and pointing to the diagram hastily drawn on it, he started explaining his design in a rather shaky voice.

"You see I thought that we could put one plant in each corner and then the remaining eleven we could use to make a ... a heart shape in the middle ..."

He glanced surreptitiously up towards the older man and saw a slight twinkle in the blue eyes that remained staring at Steve's diagram which was now starting to shake a little in Steve's hand. He couldn't quite read Mike's expression and so he found himself needing to explain further.

"You see ... I ah ... I got a small heart shaped stone marker done up during the week and I thought it would ah ... go nicely in the middle with the flowers around it ..."

Mike clasped his hand on the right side of the diagram stopping it from shaking in the younger man's grip and slowly lifted his eyes back to meet Steve's, hearing him breathing a little heavier as a result. Steve stared unnervingly into their depths and asked in a worried and equally uneven voice.

"You ah ... You think that's dumb?"

Mike smiled a broad smile and the simple gesture alone eased Steve's mind before the words even followed.

"No Steve. I don't think it's dumb. Actually ... I think it's a great idea. You've put a lot of thought into this haven't you?"

"Ah yeah ... You could say that ... You really like the idea? ... I mean you're not just saying it to make me feel better are you? Because I ... I really want your honest opinion on this, good OR bad ..."

Mike's left hand came up to land on Steve's shoulder and his reassuring words brought much relief to Steve's frayed nerves.

"No ... I'm not just saying it Buddy boy. Actually I think it's such a swell idea, I might even try it on Helen's grave too ... That is if you don't mind me stealing your idea?"

Steve finally smiled and shook his head.

"No ... no of course I don't mind."

"I presume you have this plan worked out down to the amount of plants you bought?"

Steve's smile widened and he chuckled a little at Mike's perceptiveness.

"Ah yeah ... yeah I do. I bought fifteen. That's four for the corners and one for the apex of heart and then five for each side of the curves of the heart."

Mike chuckled back.

"Ok, I'll get started so ..."

Bending down again to sort the flowers he spoke again to keep Steve's mind focused on what they were doing.

"Say ... these plants. Are they Gaillardia?"

Steve almost spluttered at the question.

"What? ... Don't ask me. I just asked the guy in the store for plants that don't need too much tending for a grave in a dry and badly drained area and he recommended those. I thought he called them something like um ... blanket flowers though ..." Steve replied looking confused.

Mike laughed.

"They are blanket flowers ... but Gaillardia is their proper name. Boy you really know nothing about flowers do you?"

Steve shook his head and smiled.

"Not really. I just know they look nice and I ... liked the colours. You know red and orange. They're cheerful and bright and ... "

" ... everything the place they're going to be planted in isn't, huh?" Mike finished for him.

"Yeah ..."

"Well you're right. They're perfect. Good choice Buddy boy and the guy in the store is right. They thrive in hot, dry conditions so they should be fine planted here."

That made Steve smile again and he knelt down at the gravestone and started preparing his supplies ready to start painting. As he began, he took a deep steadying breath and hoped he could do the old headstone justice in reapplying the names of his loved ones who had passed.

Just over fifty minutes later, Steve was almost finished repainting the writing back in on the headstone and had even painted a rose shape with the red paint on each upper corner. Several times during the painting Steve had heard faint sounds in the vast distance behind the headstone. Each time he wasn't quite sure exactly what he had heard but each time he had glanced back at Mike anxiously to see if he had heard anything and on all three occasions he had seen Mike oblivious to anything, fully engrossed in his gardening work. Figuring that he was still continuing to "hear" things that weren't actually there, he shrugged off the uneasy feeling each time and continued the delicate task at hand.

Mike had planted the four corners and was working on the heart shape plants in the middle. With one side of the heart shape completed he glanced up and watched with a smile at the complete concentration that was visible in the young man's expression. With his tongue wedged between his lips, he was carefully painting in the final letter of his Mother's name with great care and concentration. As he finished the last letter, he heard Mike's voice from behind him.

"Wow, you've done a great job Steve. Where did you learn to do those roses? They really add to it."

Steve stopped and smiled back gratefully, the black paint covered brush still in his hand, glad that the task was finally complete and feeling able to relax a little at long last.

"Ah ... Harry painted them on my Grandmother's grave once and I watched him. I thought they might brighten it up a little. You really think they look ok?"

Steve's constant need for reassurance that he was fixing his parents' grave up to the best of his ability was more than evident to Mike and he was more than happy to oblige.

"The whole thing is terrific Steve ... Really terrific ..."

Steve smiled at first but then moved away and looked at the writing he had finished from a little further away and frowned.

"Does the writing look crooked to you Mike?"

Mike shook his head in amusement but then studied the writing from his vantage point.

"No ... Looks perfect to me from here Buddy boy."

But Steve was still scowling and squinting at the headstone.

"You sure?"

"What? You saying that I have crooked eyes now?" he added humorously trying to lighten the mood away from Steve's perfectionist attitude.

It worked as Steve laughed and as he did he wiped his right hand across his chin, unbeknownst to him, leaving a thin trail of black paint as he did. As he dropped his hand Mike couldn't help but burst out laughing at the sight of Steve with a blackened chin. Stunned by Mike's sudden unexplained howl of laughter, he spoke curiously.

"What? What's so funny?"

Mike almost collapsed backwards from the laughter, his right arm holding his stomach as his left hand came up to point in Steve's direction. Still laughing at the sorry sight of his partner he spoke between laughs.

"YOU! ... You've just got ... black paint all over your chin ..."

"WHAT?" Steve asked in horror, rubbing at his chin in haste and in so doing just making it worse by spreading it more.

Seeing what Steve was doing, Mike rushed forward and grabbed Steve's hand away from his chin.

"Will you stop doing that. You're just making it worse ..."

"I'm just trying to get it OFF Mike! " Steve answered in frustration.

"Well you won't get it off that way. Did you bring white spirits?"

"Yeah, yeah they're over there but wait a minute, you can't use that on my face can you?"

"We're just going to use a drop of it, don't worry and we'll wash it off afterwards. It's the quickest way to get it off. "

Seeing Steve a little skeptical about his tactics for removing the paint, Mike smiled and reassured him.

"Trust me will you?"

"Ok ... I guess so ..."

Mike poured a tiny drop of the white spirits onto a piece of cloth and reaching over he took Steve's chin in his hand and started rubbing at the stubborn black trail of paint.

"Oh ... that stinks Mike ..." Steve complained, suddenly feeling grateful and glad that there was no one around to see the older man wiping his chin like he was a child.

"Well hold your breath then. I'll be done in a minute. STAY STILL will you?"

Steve was squirming as Mike roughly scrubbed at the paint and then spoke as the scrubbing intensified.

"Ow Mike. You're hurting me ... and watch you don't damage my dimple will ya? It's my best feature."

Mike smiled at Steve's words, remembering fondly that it was one of the first things he had noticed about his prospective new partner at their first ever meeting. That and the length of his hair. He smiled wider at the memory as he removed the last of the paint with one final stroke.

"Oh stop moaning will you? There. All gone. You might want to wash it with some water though to get rid of any white spirit residue."

Steve took the water bottle Mike handed him and pouring some onto a clean cloth he washed his by now sore and reddened chin.

"Thanks ... I THINK! " Steve pouted, causing Mike to laugh out loud again.

"Let's stop for lunch now, huh? You're finished that job and I've only five more plants left to put in. I'm STARVING. It's almost three thirty now. After lunch you can help me put in those last five plants and then you just have to put that stone marker on. At that rate we should have lunch and still be finished well before five. What do you say?"

Steve nodded, the mention of food causing his stomach to rumble.

"Yeah good idea. I'm hungry too now that you mention it. Do you want me to go and get the picnic lunch from the car?" Steve asked, getting back up on his feet.

"What? And have you peeking and spoiling your surprise lunch? No thank you ... You clean up the rest of the painting stuff and your hands and I'LL get it. I won't be a minute."

Steve smiled and then feigned a hurt expression.

"What? You don't trust me?"

"With food ... NO! "

Steve laughed and watched as Mike headed back off down the slope to the car. As he disappeared from sight, Steve shook his head and looked back at the headstone once more. Mike was right . It did look good and he was very proud of it. Gathering up the paint supplies, putting the lids back on the tins of paint and soaking the brushes in a jar of white spirits, he started cleaning the paint off his hands when he heard a woman's voice as clear as day. It was ... singing. The sound was faint but definitely there. He felt his heart begin to pound as he stood up and tried to ascertain what direction the sound was coming from. It was coming from off behind the grave somewhere. He walked towards the edge of the plot of ground they were on, a few yards behind his parents headstone, through the second line of trees and stopped suddenly as the ground fell sharply downwards to the next level of graves. The slope looked unstable and he heard the woman's singing a little louder from here. He went to try and step down onto the slope, anxious about its stability but stopped as he heard Mike's hurried footsteps behind him and his voice that followed.

"STEVE? What are you doing over here? Come on, lunch is ready ..."

"Shush Mike. I heard a woman singing. It's coming from over here somewhere. Listen ..."

Both men went silent and listened intently, Steve feeling Mike's eyes staring at him strangely as he did. To Steve's annoyance there was no sound and he fisted the tree in frustration.

"DAMN IT! Why does that keep happening? How come I keep hearing things and you don't. "

He felt Mike's hand squeeze his shoulder and scowled as he heard Mike's reply.

"Steve look ... This place is just dragging some memories up for you that's all. You probably just heard the birds singing or the wind in the trees howling and your imagination turned it into something more that's all. Come on! Let's go back and eat, ok? STEVE, there's NO-ONE out there."

Steve pulled out of Mike's grip.

"Oh come on Mike! I may be a little emotionally unbalanced today compared to normal but I think I know the difference between the wind, birdsong and a woman's voice. I'm TELLING you, I HEARD it Mike! As clear as I heard your voice right now except ... except farther away ... like ... like it was carried on the wind ...and the tune ... It was familiar somehow. Like I've heard it somewhere before ..."

Mike studied the younger man closely, very unnerved by his peculiar actions and feelings today. Steve looked up at the older man and knew by Mike's expression that he was sounding crazy. Shaking his head to dispel the creeped out feeling that was still washing over him in waves, he spoke in defeat and gestured back to his parents grave.

"Ok ... Ok you're right. It sounds crazy. Let's go back and eat. I think I've really had enough of this place for one day, Mike. The sooner we get finished and out of here the better."

Mike smiled and settled an arm around Steve's shoulders as he guided the young man back towards the grave and their carefully prepared lunch. A gust of wind blew over them as they did and Mike saw Steve cast one last look behind him as they made their way back and worried even more as he could almost feel the hairs rise on the back of the young man's neck as he did.

 **A/N :Thank you all again for the kind comments you have left on this story. I am so glad you are all enjoying it as much as I am writing it! And to all those wondering what the bizarre noises are all will be revealed shortly.. ;-)**


	6. Chapter 6

**Digging Up The Past**

Chapter 6

Mike continued to guide Steve back to his parents' grave where beneath the shade of the nearest tree he had placed the bag that held their lunch beside the cooler box. He noticed that Steve was still very distracted and ill at ease and tried to rally him around. Clapping his hands together in his usual familiar enthusiastic gesture he spoke animatedly.

"Well Buddy boy ... Are you going to guess what I brought for your culinary delight? Go on, I'll be generous and let you have two guesses. Now I can't say fairer than that now can I?"

Steve was still staring distractedly over beyond the slope when the loud clap made him jump and drew his attention back in Mike's direction. He shrugged his shoulders in disinterest, on the one hand not really hungry all of a sudden and secondly not really in the mood for guessing games.

"Aw Mike ... Look I'm sure whatever you brought is really nice. Can't we just eat it?"

Mike scowled at Steve's lack of enthusiasm but refused to be put off by it.

"Hey now. Don't be a spoilsport. Come on ... I went to a lot of trouble making this.. The least you can do is humor me and guess what it is. Come on. If you get it right you'll get a special prize ..." Mike added as an incentive.

Steve sighed knowing that when Mike was in that humor, he had little choice but to play along and anyway Mike was right. It was just a bit of harmless fun and it might take the uneasy feeling away from the pit of his stomach although being honest with himself he doubted that fact very strongly. Raising his hands in mock surrender, he weakly chuckled as he spoke, this time giving Mike and the picnic lunch his undivided attention.

"Ok ... Ok, you win but this so called prize better be worth it. Let me see ... You said you made it, right?"

Mike nodded happily, glad that the younger man had decided to play along and relieved that it seemed to be taking his mind, even temporarily, off his current environment.

"Ok ... Well I don't think it's sandwiches and if you made it ... then your signature dishes aren't too plentiful so ..."

Steve saw Mike's face fall at the last statement and quickly made amends.

"No offense intended ..." he added hurriedly and was relieved as he saw Mike's smile soften again.

"None taken Buddy boy ..."

"Ok so ... It's way too hot for a casserole so it has to be ... Got it! It's tuna salad" Steve announced triumphantly and as Mike's smile turned rapidly to a shocked and disgusted expression, Steve knew he'd got it right and couldn't help the laugh that erupted at the sight of Mike's facial expression.

"How in God's name did you guess that easily? Did you sneak a peek earlier?" Mike asked as Steve continued to chuckle heartily in amusement.

Hearing the vague accusation thrown in his direction he again held up both hands and pleaded innocence as he tried to control his giggles.

"No, I didn't honest ... I swear ... You're just very predictable Michael. " he added playfully, earning himself a swat across his upper arm for his insinuation.

"Oh I am huh? Wiseguy! "

Steve tried desperately to control his laughter as he sobered his expression and spoke appeasingly.

"Hey! I don't know what you're sore about ... I LOVE your tuna salad."

That cleverly placed compliment had the desired effect as Steve watched Mike's expression change from one of disgust to proud satisfaction. Shifting himself slightly where he now sat, he beamed proudly.

"You do?"

"Yeah ... You make a pretty terrific tasting tuna salad Mike ..." Steve piped up and as the words left his lips he blushed slightly as he felt his words came across a little too overly enthusiastic.

Mike's grin widened and he handed Steve the Tupperware container that held his lunch along with a fork. Steve reached out and accepted them with a grateful smile and taking the lid off he tucked in immediately, his hunger returning as the aroma of Mike's carefully prepared lunch now wafted up towards him. As he chewed and swallowed the first delicious mouthful, he looked back up at Mike who had started eating his too.

"Hmmm ... Tastes good. Thanks Mike ..."

"You're welcome" Mike answered glad to see him eating then to his dismay he saw Steve's head whip around and stare off behind him again.

"Steve, please don't keep looking over there as if you keep hearing things. You're giving me the heebie jeebies!"

Steve almost choked on a mouthful of tuna and coughed to clear the piece that had tried to go astray as he couldn't help laughing.

"The heebie ... what?"

"Well haven't you ever heard of that expression? The heebie jeebies. You know? The collywobbles. A case of the willies ..."

Again the second and third expression brought another fit of the giggles from the young man.

"Ok, ok Mike enough! I get the picture. The collywobbles? Oh man! Have you been doing those crossword puzzles again?"

"Very funny ... Well how would you say it then hotshot?"

Amid giggles he shrugged and answered honestly.

'I don't know. I guess I'd say ... it gives you the creeps. "

The older man smiled wider as he reached for the cooler box beside him and took off the lid.

"Ok, the creeps it is.. But whatever you want to call it, stop giving them to me, will you?"

Steve nodded agreeably.

"Ok, I'll try ... Sorry."

Mike smiled wider and piped up then.

"So? ... Do you want your prize for guessing correctly?"

Steve was in mid chew and waited a few seconds to fully swallow what food was in his mouth before speaking. Holding up one hand while he chewed to excuse his delay in answering, he finally swallowed and spoke.

"Sure ... What is it?"

"Close your eyes and hold out your hand and you'll find out."

Steve shook his head at Mike's continued game playing and yet inwardly found it quite amusing. Playing along he closed his eyes as his face lit up with an amused smirk and he held out his right hand. He felt something very cold touch his palm and almost dropped it only Mike was still holding it firmly in the young man's grasp.

"Whoa! That's freezing Mike ... Can I open my eyes now?"

"Sure ... " came Mike's reply and he smiled as he watched Steve's reaction as the young man slowly opened his eyes and saw the cold bottle of his favorite beer sitting in his right hand.

He watched Steve's jaw drop and then his smile widen in disbelief.

"You brought cold beers?"

Mike nodded.

"Well ... Seeing as you drove here, I figured I'd drive us home and ... well there's nothing quite like a cold beer on a sweltering hot day after working so hard, now is there?"

Steve shook his head.

"No, there certainly is not. Toss me the opener will ya?" Steve said looking forward to the beverage in his hand. " _Just what the doctor ordered "_ he thought to himself.

But as he spoke, he watched Mike's face redden and the older man's eyes close momentarily as he spoke in a frustrated tone.

"I don't believe it ... I knew there was something I forgot ... I never brought the opener!"

Steve couldn't help but laugh at the older man's expression and he chuckled again heartily, the cold beer bottle still in his hand.

"Oh Man! You brought beers but no opener, huh? What is it you always tell me? As you get older you start to slip up ..." he said tapping his temple and getting great mileage out of Mike's very rare lapse in memory.

"Ok, ok very funny. But how are we going to open the bottle, Wiseguy?"

"Ah ha! Just leave that to me Michael. There are many ways to open a bottle of beer without an opener, didn't you know that?"

Mike smiled in wry amusement as he heard the playful tone in his partner's voice and knew that his mind had been completely distracted from his earlier concerns.

"Is that right? You care to enlighten me?"

"Sure ... Give me a second bottle will ya?"

"A SECOND one? But you haven't even got the cap off the first one yet. Why do you need a second one?"

"Oh ye of little faith. Just give me a second one and all will be revealed, alright?"

Mike shrugged his shoulders and reaching into the cooler box he produced a second bottle of beer and handed it to Steve. He watched in surprise as the younger man upended the second one and used it to carefully lever the cap off the first one. As the froth rose as the cap came away, Steve took a few sips of it quickly so as not to waste a single drop. As the cold beer sailed smoothly down his parched throat he smacked his lips in appreciation and smiled broadly.

"Boy! I needed that ..."

"I'm impressed Buddy boy ... I really am. Did you learn that particular skill in college?"

Steve chuckled at the remark and answered playfully.

"Actually I did but ... more in an extra curricular capacity you could say ..."

It was Mike's turn to chuckle.

"I'll bet. Anymore party tricks you want to teach me?"

Steve grinned, enjoying the playful camaraderie after the emotional and tiring day's work.

"Yeah ... Actually you can also open them with ... a car key, a belt buckle or just a folded up piece of paper if you need to. You want me to open one for you too?"

Mike laughed and shook his head politely.

"No thanks. Not now. Maybe later on. So tell me. I'm intrigued. Where did you learn to be a fount of knowledge when it comes to opening beer bottles?"

After taking and swallowing some more of his lunch and taking another mouthful of his beer, Steve straightened up a little and spoke more seriously.

"I ah ... I used to do some bar tending back in my college days ..."

"Bar tending? I didn't know you ever bar tended." Mike asked curiously as he watched Steve shift a little more uncomfortably where he sat.

It was a regular thing for Steve to act slightly off when he discussed personal aspects of his life. Even after knowing the young man for as long as he had, he noticed that Steve never really liked talking about his past or personal life too much. But in fairness to his partner he ate another mouthful and then pushed the tuna salad around his bowl as he answered teasingly.

"Ah Michael ... There's a lot of things you still don't know about me ..."

Eating a little of his own lunch, he then glanced back up at Steve who was now looking a little flushed in the face. Unsure if it was from the blistering sun from earlier or the recent personal topic of conversation they were discussing, he decided to probe a little further, at this stage more for his own unsated curiosity than anything else.

"Now I am VERY intrigued Buddy boy. Do tell. What other part-time jobs did you do that I don't know about, huh?"

Steve was almost finished his lunch as another mouthful was chewed and swallowed and he looked up sheepishly to answer Mike's probing question.

"Well ... I ah ... I bar tended and ... I washed cars, I mowed lawns and I ah ... did pizza deliveries ..."

Mike laid his Tupperware bowl back on the ground and stretched his feet out in front of himself to ward off the kinks that sitting on the ground was causing. He listened to the litany of part-time jobs that Steve reeled off and shook his head in admiration.

"Well you certainly got around Buddy boy. Not all at the same time I hope." he added humorously but then his smile faded as he watched Steve remain serious as he finished the last forkful and then answered in a serious tone.

"Ah ... Yeah ... mostly at the same time."

Mike sat up further and spoke somewhat incredulously.

"What? You held down all four jobs at the same time while going to college as well?"

Steve shifted awkwardly and seemed to take an extra long slug of his beer for possible courage before answering in what he hoped was a nonchalant sounding tone.

"Yeah ... What's so wrong with that?"

Mike studied Steve a little too closely for the young man's comfort and noticed Steve turn away slightly under the oppressive stare.

"Well how in God's name did you manage that?"

Steve shrugged his shoulders as his gaze rested on his parents' grave, visibly not entirely happy with the current flow of conversation.

"You do what you have to, right? Money was tight and I ah ... I managed."

"How?"

"What do you mean how? I ah ... I just managed that's all."

"What I mean is how could you fit in four part-time jobs and study and attend lectures at the same time? Not to mention eat and sleep as well."

"Look it was difficult, ok? Is that what you want to hear? I mean I did the pizza deliveries and bar tending at night. I finished up around three and I caught a few hours sleep. Then I'd get up at seven and do the lawn work and then I'd attend college and fit in the car washes during lunch time. Then I'd study and work on my assignments in the College Library before heading back to work again. Look Mike, it got me through, ok?"

Mike went worryingly silent after hearing Steve's harrowing ritual during those formative years of his life. Steve picked up on the uneasiness and Mike heard him sigh heavily. This time Mike watched him heel the bottle up and drink heavily from the bottle and he reached out and steadied his partner's hand.

"Hey! Take it easy will you? It's not a race you know? "

Steve sighed again and got to his feet in one swift move, catching Mike by surprise.

"Look ... let's just get back to this, ok?"

Mike scrambled to his feet a little less gracefully than Steve did and caught Steve's elbow.

"Wait a minute! Look I'm sorry if bringing all that up made you uncomfortable. It's just that you've never really talked about that time with me except for a little when Judge Matthews was ... well you know ..." Mike added awkwardly, as he realized he had just brought up another traumatic time in Steve's life unintentionally.

He watched Steve's face darken and regretted it all the more. Speaking apologetically he reasoned with the younger man.

"Come on. Sit back down will you? Besides ... you haven't even had dessert yet and it's your favorite! Jeannie's apple pie." he added desperately, trying to get Steve to sit back down and deal with whatever he was so obviously trying to avoid talking about.

But thoughts of dessert didn't even register with the young man whose thoughts were now firmly stuck in the past and the memories that had been dragged kicking and screaming to the front of his mind by Mike's probing questions.

"Mike, I just want to get this done, ok? I mean why do you want to know about that time anyway? You didn't even know me back then."

Mike placed a hand on his shoulder and shuddered inwardly at the sudden angst and discomfort that shone from his partner's eyes.

"I know that and you're right. It's none of my business and you don't have to talk about it if you don't want to or if it upsets you that much but ... there's something you're not telling. I can sense it and you know my gut never lies Buddy boy. Sit down will you? Please."

Steve stood and ran a hand through his hair and then reluctantly sunk back down onto the ground, his knees bent and his arms wrapped around them. He never spoke so Mike piped up first.

"You want some pie?"

Steve merely stared ahead and shook his head.

"No ... No thank you. Maybe later ... I'm ah ... I'm full for now thanks. Look Mike, I don't like talking about that time because ... because it was a pretty dark time for me and my head wasn't in a good place then, you know? "

Mike nodded understandingly.

"Sure ... Coming from your Uncle Henry's house, how could it be? Steve, there's one thing bothers me. Where did you stay?"

Mike watched Steve's facial expression change to one of utter discomfort and knew he was getting to the crux of Steve's torment. He watched as Steve flustered accordingly.

"What?"

"You heard me. Where did you stay when you came to Berkeley from Modesto at first. Did you get accommodation on Campus?"

Steve dry swallowed and took another huge mouthful from his bottle to moisten his throat before answering.

"Ah no ... No I ... I missed out on that ..."

"You missed out? How come?"

"I had to fill out paperwork and ... Henry ah ... He wouldn't sign it ... So by the time I turned eighteen and could sign it myself ... I'd missed out and there was none left."

Mike frowned and he felt more anger towards Steve's reprobate of an Uncle than ever before. He really was some piece of work and had made sure Steve's life would be miserable every step of the way and for that alone he felt he could never forgive the man.

"I see ... well no real surprises there, huh? But that doesn't answer my earlier question ... Where did you stay?"

Steve shifted uncomfortably again and spoke in a flustered manner.

"I ah ... I stayed in a hostel at first but I ah ... I didn't like it so I didn't stay there too long."

"What was wrong with it?"

"There were eight beds to a room and em ... well there were some very unsavory characters staying there, shall we say. I always felt like ... I had to ah ... sleep with one eye open. You know what I mean?"

Mike sympathized with a knowing glance. He'd seen enough of those type of places over his time as a cop and he cringed at the thought of Steve at the tender age of eighteen having to rely on a place like that for accommodation.

"Yes I know what you mean but if you didn't stay there and you hadn't met Judge Matthews yet then ... Where did you go?"

Steve closed his eyes briefly knowing his answer was not going to sit well with his partner and beginning to wonder how the conversation had managed to evolve into this harrowing disclosure. Deciding that he was only making the admission worse by drawing it out, he took a deep breath and just answered plainly.

"I ah ... I slept rough ..."

Steve felt his heart skip a beat as he saw Mike almost recoil at his answer.

"You ... You slept rough? For how long STEVE?"

"I don't know ... em ... a couple of months, maybe more ... But it was ok. I mean I didn't have a lot of stuff and I had a locker at the college that I could keep stuff in and ... I managed Mike ..."

Steve couldn't bear to see the pitiful look that Mike's face wore and so he looked once more over at his parents grave and while he had tried to keep his act upbeat and positive about his brief time on the streets, his rapidly pounding heartbeat told the real inner truth. Steve's admission brought a certain amount of shock to the older man. To think that at that time he and Helen and Jeannie had been playing happy families while Steve had been homeless and alone brought him great sadness.

"God Steve! " was all he managed to say as his hand reached out and squeezed the back of Steve's neck sympathetically as another reality just dawned on him.

"That's why you had four jobs too wasn't it? It wasn't for the money so much as it gave you somewhere to be for most of every twenty four hours. "

Steve's head whipped around at Mike's perception and he exhaled sharply.

"Partly yeah ... But I also figured the more money I saved, the quicker I could get a place you know ... Even a room or something. "

Steve felt his neck get squeezed again and then he heard Mike's next question and sighed again.

"How did you meet Judge Matthews?"

"I ah ... I washed her car a couple of times and then one night I delivered a pizza to her house. She ... recognized me and she asked me where I was studying and I told her I was studying law at Berkeley. Then ..."

Steve stopped talking mid-sentence and Mike got a sinking feeling about his sudden silence. He reached his second hand over and grabbed his arm supportively.

"Then what Steve ... What happened?"

Steve didn't look around. He seemed lost in his memories and stayed staring at the tidied grave in front of him and to Mike it almost seemed like he was telling them as well as him.

"I ah ... I got sick ..."

This time Mike swallowed hard on hearing Steve's words. He wanted to question him immediately but bit back his enthusiasm. Steve needed to relate this in his own way and time without being pressurized so he waited patiently for Steve to continue.

"There was this one night when it was very wet. I couldn't find shelter and I got soaked through. By the time I got to college the next day to change and clean up, I had a bit of a cough. It ... it didn't get any better. If anything it got worse. I was feeling pretty awful the next day when Judge Matthews came to get her car washed and she noticed something was wrong. I couldn't stop coughing and she offered to drop me home."

Mike squeezed his arm in support again and spoke softly.

"That's when she found out you didn't have one, huh?"

Steve nodded. She bought me a hot drink and we sat in her car and just talked. I told her everything. I don't even know why. But I trusted her. She seemed really nice and next thing I knew she'd taken me to her house and introduced me to her family. They were all nice and they sort of took me in. She even brought me to her family Doctor. Turns out I had a nasty chest infection. She got me medicine. She let me sleep on her couch, she insisted I eat with them and she really looked out for me. I really owe her an awful lot Mike. She didn't have to do what she did, you know? "

Mike nodded and spoke emotionally.

"Just another angel along life's way ..."

Steve turned and stared at him.

"What?"

"Oh it was just something my late Mother used to say. She always said that there are always angels sent to guide us through the difficult parts of our lives even if sometimes we don't see it or realize that's what they are at the time ... Sounds like she was your angel then, huh?"

"Yeah ... yeah I guess she was ..."

Steve rubbed tiredly at his eyes as he spoke and drained the last of his beer. Mike knew that talking about that time of his life had been almost as draining as the hard work he had done all day. He let go of the young man's arm and patted Steve's back comfortingly instead but the movement caused Steve to yelp in pain as he drew away from Mike instinctively. Startled by the sudden reaction, Mike flew into action.

"STEVE! What caused that? Is it your back?"

Steve had partially recovered but his back was sore as hell. He hadn't really noticed it too much until Mike had patted it.

"It's ok. I think it's just my sunburn. Just don't touch it again, ok?"

"Well that was some yell. You better let me take a look."

Steve pulled away a little further.

"No Mike. Just leave it, ok? DON'T fuss."

"Steve , I just want to look at it. I won't touch it. I promise."

Knowing that Mike was not going to let up, he allowed Mike to move behind him. He sucked in a deep breath as he felt Mike gingerly lift his T-shirt and groaned in discomfort as he heard Mike's shocked tone.

"Ooooh! That looks nasty Steve. Your back is lobster red and it's starting to blister. No wonder it's starting to hurt you."

Lowering the T-shirt gently back down for the time being Mike stood up and spoke firmly.

"I have a sunburn lotion down in the glove box. It will cool it and soothe it a little. I'll go and get it and put some on you. You stay put and don't move a muscle, alright?"

"MIKE! You're fussing again ..." Steve moaned in frustration but Mike wasn't listening as he headed off on his mission to get the sun burn lotion. Steve shook his head and stretched his sore back as he watched Mike disappear over the grassy bank. He wasn't looking forward to Mike touching his sunburn in order to apply a cream to it. As he sat there feeling sorry for himself he held his breath as he heard the faint song again from earlier. He jumped to his feet and listened harder. The woman's voice echoed gently across from beyond his parents' grave and forgetting Mike's instruction and his sore back in the angst of the moment, he headed off in the direction it came from. He needed to find out whether he was imagining it or not.

Reaching the steep, unstable looking slope, he hesitated briefly until the woman's voice reached him again. It was a tune he recognized but from where? A brief memory flashed before his eyes as he saw the garden of his parents' house in his mind's eye. That was where he had heard that tune before. He swallowed hard and felt his heart race and his head spin a little at the sudden deja vu feeling that washed over him as the tune faded out. He took a brave step down the slope and then a second one and a third. The ground felt unsteady but he was suddenly determined to investigate the sound once and for all. Before he took a fourth step a voice from above stopped him in his tracks.

"STEVE! What do you think you're DOING down there? I told you to stay put."

"I heard that woman's voice again Mike. I NEED to check it out. I'll be right back. It's ok."

"The HELL it is Steve! That slope looks very unstable. Now for God's sake will you see some sense and get your duff back up here NOW before it goes from under you."

Steve frowned at Mike's lack of encouragement. He looked back down at the lower graves and scanned the area from where he stood to see if he could see any sign of life which suddenly felt very ironic in the sombre surroundings of the Cemetery. He felt a slight shift in the soil beneath his feet and started to believe that maybe Mike was right. _Whatever he'd heard it wasn't worth the risk of injuring himself or ... was it?_ Before he could answer his own unspoken question he heard Mike yell again.

"STEVE? Did that ground just shift there?"

Looking up at the older man he shook his head not wanting to worry him.

"No .. No, I ah don't think so ... Never mind. I'm coming back up."

"WAIT! STEVE, DON'T MOVE!"

Steve wobbled where he stood at Mike's panicked instruction.

"What now Mike?"

"Steve, what's that wooden thing at your feet? Just to your right, face down in the dirt. Can you reach it?"

Steve looked down at what Mike was referring to and scowled. He just wanted to get back up on steady ground instead of delaying. He reached forward feeling the soil shift a little more as he did and he pulled at the partially buried wooden post. As it came free, Steve turned it and his eyes widened in terror. Mike saw his reaction and shouted.

"STEVE? What is it?"

Steve took a few shocked minutes to answer but when he did there was an unmistakable tremor to his voice.

"It's a sign Mike. It says Danger Keep out! Ground unstable. Liable to subsidence. Oh hell Mike. I think I'm in trouble here. The ground is starting to shift."

Mike couldn't disguise the alarm that filled him as he heard Steve's words and his gut started ringing alarm bells.

"STEVE! Just MOVE it. Get up here NOW. HURRY."

Steve started to climb back up but after only two steps up, the ground slid a little and halted his progress as he yelled.

"MIKE! It's going to go."

"Ok new plan. DON'T MOVE! I'll go and get the tow rope from the car. Just HOLD ON."

He went to turn, but Steve yelled after him and stopped him.

"NO MIKE! There isn't time. I can feel it starting to go. What am I going to do?"

Mike scanned quickly and saw a tree to Steve's left, one branch of which was lower than the rest. If Steve could reach it, it might stop him falling. Quickly he yelled down helplessly at his partner.

"STEVE? That tree branch to your left. Can you grab it?"

Steve looked left and saw it but knew it would mean moving to reach it. He closed his eyes and couldn't quite believe he had gotten himself into such a predicament in the first place. He felt the soft earth start to crumble beneath him and made one quick dive for the branch, grabbing it. But his momentary relief was short-lived as the ground sank away beneath his feet and as he heard the branch crack and break away, he yelled Mike's name as he plunged into the river of dirt that pulled him downward with relative ease and tossed him mercilessly as he descended, dirt covering his hair and face and getting into his eyes as something hard struck off his right temple and stunned him as he was carried forward against his will.

Mike watched helplessly as the ground subsided beneath Steve's feet. He sighed briefly as he saw his partner catch the branch but then watched in horror as the branch broke and Steve disappeared into the river of earth that cascaded down the steep slope. It subsided about thirty feet below down the incline and took a mere minute or two to halt its forward movement but from where he stood he could see no sign of his partner as it settled.

"STEVE!" he roared in anguish as he quickly hurried off to find a safe way down to where Steve possibly now lay buried.


	7. Chapter 7

**Digging Up The Past**

Chapter 7

The few minutes that Steve was dragged forward and tossed mercilessly, ended abruptly as the forward momentum came to a sudden halt. A little dazed and stunned Steve tried to open his eyes and failed miserably as soil fell into them as he did and he closed them again quickly. Coming to the stark and terrifying realization that his face was covered in soil, he pushed his head upwards in one swift anxious movement and cleared the earth easily, relieved that there had just been a thin layer covering it and that he wasn't buried any deeper. Coughing and spluttering soil particles from his mouth and nostrils as panic gripped him he still couldn't open his eyes that were now irritated by the soil that had entered them. With another slight struggle he managed to pull his arms and hands free and as his first hand cleared the landslide and then his second, he pawed desperately at his face to clear the dirt from his eyes in vain.

As he rubbed at his right eye a sharp sting above his right eyebrow came to his attention and he felt something warm and sticky oozing from it. He knew that sickening sensation meant that whatever he had hit during the landslide had caused damage. Along with the sting, a steady throbbing was starting to build in his skull on that side of his head. He tried to open his eyes again but they were watering now from the irritation. His right eye was refusing to open at all and his left eye opened slightly but the vision from it was blurry at best. Trying to get his bearings, he squinted and tried to focus on where he had landed.

Although the top half of his body was mostly now above the pile of earth that had moved down the slope, from what he could make out the lower half below his waist was still buried and there was a pile of loose earth behind his back. He tried to work out if he was injured anywhere else by sensing if anything hurt. The only parts of him that were hurting were his head, his back where he assumed the sunburn had been aggravated during the slide and there was a rapidly growing pain coming from his right ankle somewhere beneath the soil. He winced as it made itself known and he tried to move it but that only made the pain worse. He lay his head back against his soil pillow,closed his eyes and groaned as he then heard Mike's frantic voice shouting his name, getting closer as he also heard a scramble of some sorts which he assumed was Mike trying to get down to where he was.

"STEVE? ... STEVE?"

Hearing the panic and terror in his partner's voice he knew he had to call out to let him know he was ok ... well as ok as he could be under the circumstances as a shudder washed over him at the thought of how much worse it could have been. He felt himself shaking from the shock of what had happened and wasn't sure his voice would work but he valiantly tried to call out, a little taken aback by the raspy and throaty sound that escaped from his lips.

"MIKE ... Over here ..."

The effort of talking started him coughing which only caused more loose dirt to cascade over his shoulders. He brushed it off and heard the scrambling more pronounced off to his right. The voice that came next sounded nearer and Steve took great comfort from its proximity.

"Steve! Hold on! I'm almost with you ..."

"Be careful ... Mike" Steve rasped again not sure how stable the ground around him was.

He heard movement directly to his right and tried to force his left eye open again as he saw the blurry, fedora clad form of Mike silhouetted against the afternoon sky, the sun causing a vague halo of light around the older man that momentary blinded him and made him shut his eye again in response. He rubbed at his two eyes again impulsively and felt Mike's strong hand on his shoulder and heard the frantic and concerned tone in his voice.

"Steve, thank God! I was afraid you were fully buried in that slide. Hey, hey don't rub at your eyes. You're bleeding Steve. You'll just get dirt into the wound. Stay still now. Let me take a look at it."

Steve felt Mike remove his hands and felt him probe the sore spot. He winced as it stung sharply and he spoke again shakily.

"Ow Mike! That hurts. How ... how bad is it? Mike ... I can't see straight ... There's dirt in my eyes. They're stinging ..."

"Ok, ok now I can see that. Hold still ... You've got blood in this right one as well. You've got a nasty cut above your right eye. You must have hit something on the way down."

Steve felt something pressing against his wound and wondered if it was Mike's ever present and ever faithful handkerchief. He tried to force his left eye open again but it was watering so much now that his vision was worse.

"No Steve. Don't try to open them! I'm going to have to go back up and get some water to wash them out. Are you hurting anywhere else?"

"I'm not sure ... My back smarts and my right ankle is very sore. I'm not sure if it's trapped or if I twisted it in the slide. "

Mike looked concerned at his partner at those words, suddenly glad that Steve couldn't see his expression. He looked at his partner's lower body still encased in the dirt and knew he needed to try and determine how deep his lower half was buried and how much trouble he was in. Taking Steve's hand he placed it on the handkerchief.

"Here, just hold this here for a second, will ya? Press hard on it."

Steve obeyed as Mike started digging with his hands in the soil around Steve's lower half. Steve felt the movement around his legs and panicked, afraid that the earth was shifting again.

"MIKE? ..."

Mike spoke reassuringly.

"It's ALRIGHT Steve. Don't worry. I'm just trying to see how deep you're buried here."

Mike dug his hand down about a foot and felt something soft. He squeezed and felt it move. Chuckling to himself he asked humorously trying to lighten the tension of the situation.

"Please tell me that's your leg."

Steve laughed and nodded before wincing again as his ankle throbbed.

"Ok ... well you're not too far down but ... I'm going to have to get the spade to dig you out quickly ... Will you be alright for a few minutes until I get some stuff and get back to you? I had better bring the first aid kit too."

Steve felt something crawling on his shoulder under his T-shirt and swatted at it with his free hand unexpectedly to Mike's surprise.

"Yeah, just hurry back will ya? There are things crawling on me here."

Mike couldn't help but smile at Steve's dislike of sharing his current resting space with the earth's usual residents. He chuckled and patted Steve's shoulder.

"Don't worry. I'll just be a minute. Keep that wound covered and don't open those eyes until I get back with the water. And DON'T move too much! Just in case that bank of dirt behind you decides to shift again, OK?"

Steve nodded and then heard movement beside him that he knew meant that Mike was heading back up the slope and listened carefully as he heard the sounds of his movement getting further away. With his eyes closed and his body half buried he felt his heart begin to race at being left alone again. He felt something else crawling across the back of his neck and shook his head instinctively and felt more dirt pour over his shoulders from the movement. He cringed inwardly as he felt the latest unwanted guest continue it's journey across his shoulders and tried to ignore it as best he could. Then he heard a sound off to his left this time and almost held his breath. He wasn't sure what it was but it was coming from the opposite side that Mike had been on. He prayed that he wouldn't hear the singing again. Not now! Not when he was trapped and vulnerable and when Mike wasn't here. He listened harder and heard a faint scrambling this time but it was definitely coming from his left side. _Please let it be Mike,_ he found himself wishing. It grew louder and more determined and he startled and exhaled sharply as a cold hand touched his cheek and a voice suddenly broke the eerie silence.

"Hey Buddy boy, I found an easier way down the other side ... You OK?"

Not wanting to explain that actually he wasn't ok at all and that Mike's new shortcut down to him had almost stopped his heart from beating, he merely answered breathlessly.

"Mike, you could have warned me ... that it was you coming back, you know?"

He heard Mike chuckle and pat his shoulder.

"Sorry Steve. I didn't mean to alarm you but who else would it have been? Your mystery singer? I told you Steve. There's no-one else here but us. You're just letting this place play havoc with your imagination. Now let's get you seen to. You're going to have to open your eyes while I try to wash them out. Hopefully you'll be able to see again then at least. Then I'll dig your lower half out and we'll see what's going on with your ankle, Alright?"

Steve frowned at Mike's dismissal of what he had heard earlier. He was sure it hadn't been his imagination but without proof he knew convincing the older man of that fact would prove impossible so instead he concentrated on what Mike had in store for him next. He felt Mike's hand slide across the back of his neck and tilt his head back slightly and then heard further instructions.

"You keep that cloth pressed against your wound ok and try your best to open both eyes. This is not going to be very pleasant for a few minutes until we clear the blood and grit from them but hopefully once we clear them, things will improve, ok? You ready?"

Steve settled his head back against Mike's arm and with great difficulty cracked open both eyes as they stung mercilessly. Through now gritted teeth, he answered uncomfortably.

"Ok, do it!"

The water cascaded then and Steve struggled to resist the temptation to close them firmly against the cold, liquid assault. He felt the grit and soil move though and his right eye felt less stuck together than before. Mike paused the soaking for a few seconds and let Steve close his eyes for a brief respite as he felt a towel then wipe the residue from under and around his eyes. Mike requested he open them a second time and the water flowed again, this time not as tortuous as the first time as they finally began to clear of the unwelcome foreign particles that had invaded them as he had landed earlier.

Another towel patting followed and then Mike requested he try to slowly open them to see if they needed a third cleansing. Steve slowly opened his eyelids which thankfully opened easier than they had before. His vision was blurry at first and again he resisted the urge to rub at them with his equally soiled and grubby hands. He blinked instead several times and finally Mike's smiling face gradually came into focus. He couldn't help smiling back and then as his eyes felt cleaner and better, he smiled wider and spoke gratefully.

"Thanks Mike. That's much better. "

"Great! Ok, let's dig you out of there so ... Just lie back and relax. We'll have you free in a jiffy. Brings a whole new meaning to being in the dugout, doesn't it?"

Mike laughed as he heard Steve groan at his bad joke and began to dig the soil from around Steve's lower body carefully. It was hard work but soon Steve's midriff and legs came into view. He chuckled as Steve tensed every time the spade neared his limbs and then he frowned as the young man began squirming alarmingly.

"Steve, I'm not going to touch you with it. Trust me will you? All that squirming is just going to cause another deluge of earth for me to dig out!"

But as Steve's lower limbs were slowly exposed, Steve's wriggling intensified.

"Oh Mike, no, there's something crawling up the leg of my jeans."

Mike chuckled and couldn't resist passing a remark.

"Well with all your lady friends, I thought you would have been used to that!"

Steve made a face at the older man but continued squirming.

"Oh you're hilarious Mike, you know that? Will you just help me, PLEASE?"

As his laughter subsided, he looked at Steve curiously.

"Well what exactly do you want me to DO about it? "

"SOMETHING! And QUICKLY."

Mike frowned and spoke purposefully.

"Ok, ok, keep your hair on. Where is it now?"

"OH ... it's at my left knee ... your side ... "

With a sharp downward movement Mike slapped the side of Steve's left knee hard causing a yell to erupt from the young man.

"OW! What did you do THAT for?"

Mike looked exasperated at his partner.

"Well how else did you expect me to stop it, HUH? WELL? Is it still moving?"

Steve rubbed at the side of his knee gingerly and couldn't feel anything crawling anymore.

"No ... No, I don't think so. "

"Good. Problem solved then ... so stop complaining and let's get you out of here before something else crawls up your leg!"

Steve scowled at the older man and shivered at the thoughts of whatever insect was now crushed and mangled underneath his denim jeans. Mike continued shoveling and moving dirt and soon exposed Steve's left boot adorned foot which Steve then moved gratefully but his joy at almost being free was short-lived as he saw Mike's face darken.

"Mike? ... What's the matter?"

He watched Mike swallow hard and then grew more concerned as he waited for him to answer.

"I ah ... I think I know how your foot is trapped Buddy boy ..."

"How?" Steve asked anxiously, not liking one tiny bit the level of angst in Mike's tone.

Without replying, Mike looked behind him sharply and seeing what he hadn't noticed before, his fears were duly confirmed. Steve followed Mike's gaze and saw the ancient old stone headstone protruding from the earth moved by the landslide and his face fell and his voice momentarily failed him. He looked back anxiously at Mike who returned his stare sympathetically. Neither spoke for several seconds before Steve finally found the courage to speak.

"Mike? Are you telling me that my foot is stuck in ... a grave ..."

Mike nodded and seeing Steve's eyes close and a distinct shudder wash over him as he did, he spoke and tried to make the situation less harrowing.

"I think so ... I think your foot crashed through the cement covering on it when you slid down the slope but don't worry. I'll have you out in no time at all."

"Don't WORRY! Are you kidding me? That's easy for you to say. You're not the one with your foot stuck in a grave MIKE!"

"Ok, ok calm DOWN will you? Besides ... Think how ... Mr. Alexander feels with your foot invading his place of rest ..." Mike added humorously, trying to lighten Steve's mood as he resumed his work of exposing Steve's afflicted foot.

Steve quietened and his gaze drifted from Mike's back to the headstone again as he suddenly deeply regretted ever trying to investigate the mysterious woman's voice in the first place. He felt goosebumps appear on his arms and felt decidedly colder as the sun disappeared behind a passing cloud and the many trees where they were now cast forlorn shadows across them. It was much eerier and foreboding down in this part of the Cemetery and Steve felt very ill at ease. His headache was building and his ankle hurt like hell. He leaned his head back against the soil and felt Mike make steady progress in exposing his trapped ankle. He didn't open them again until he heard Mike's sharp intake of breath and even then he opened them cautiously. Looking down sheepishly he saw what had caused Mike's reaction. His right boot clad foot was wedged between two sheets of broken concrete and he knew by the pressure on his ankle that he was held fast. He tried to wriggle his foot but it hurt worse and he bit back a yell of pain as Mike's hand stilled his left leg.

"HEY ... Take it easy now. Don't try to move it yet Buddy boy! You're wedged pretty good. I'm going to have to try and lever the concrete off it but ... it's complicated."

"What? ... What do you mean ... complicated?" Steve asked breathlessly as another shiver shook him involuntarily.

"Well, if I lever it the wrong way it could crush your foot worse ..."

Steve stared hard at the older man and spoke bravely, trying to add humor to fool Mike into thinking he wasn't worried.

"Brings a whole new meaning to having one foot in the grave, huh Mike?"

Mike hadn't expected the humorous reply and couldn't help chuckling as the joke filtered through his careful deliberations into how to move the concrete to release Steve's foot safely.

"Oh Steve ... That was bad ..."

Steve chuckled but Mike could hear the nervousness behind the laughter. He patted Steve's leg and positioned the handle of the spade in beside Steve's foot and pushed it under the broken concrete in what he hoped was the right spot.

"Ok ... I'm going to try and lift the concrete off your foot now. If it hurts or you feel extra pressure you tell me immediately, you hear me?"

Steve nodded and almost held his breath as he saw Mike get ready to put his weight down on the wooden handle. He held his breath but then let it go as he watched Mike hesitate and stop for several seconds.

"What? What's wrong Mike?"

"I just wish I had someone else to help pull you out while I lift this concrete off you. Steve, the truth is ... well I'm not sure I can get you out of this on my own ..."

Steve didn't like the implication of the older man's statement or his lack of confidence in freeing him. Mike's gut was normally very reliable and if that's what his gut was telling him now, Steve's situation suddenly felt a whole lot bleaker.

"No, no it will be fine, Mike ... Just give it a try. You lift ... and I'll try to wriggle my foot out, ok?"

Mike didn't look convinced and Steve could see in his striking blue eyes how fearful he was of causing more damage to Steve's foot through his actions.

"Alright ... Here goes. Brace yourself. "

Still holding his head wound firmly with his right hand, he found himself clawing the dirt with his left hand as he braced himself for what was about to happen. Mike positioned himself again and started leaning on the spade handle purposefully. He applied increasing pressure until he felt the concrete lift slightly. At first it seemed to be lifting off Steve's foot successfully and Mike's fears were proving unfounded. Steve felt the pressure ease and almost sighed with the rush of relief he felt as the sharp and heavy concrete came away from the side of his foot. But before he could revel in the relief, the concrete broke again under the spade handle unexpectedly and the remaining piece shifted and fell straight down on Steve's booted foot and caused an agonizing pain to rip through Steve's ankle as the pressure increased and the concrete dug harder into the side of Steve's boot.

Steve let out a piercing yell as he felt the increased pressure on his ankle that echoed around the quiet Cemetery, seeming to bounce off the trees and return to them in unnerving waves. Mike took his weight quickly off the spade handle and that seemed to help slightly. Mike reached for Steve's arm as he watched the agony slowly leave Steve's face and his contorted pain filled features returned gradually to normal.

"Oh I'm sorry Buddy boy. That's what I was afraid of. Have I made it worse?"

Steve took several seconds to regain control over his breathing and his voice enough to answer.

"No ... No it's ok. It s just sore that's all ... " he lied breathlessly as his foot felt as if it was now being crushed mercilessly.

Steve was suddenly glad he had chosen to wear those tough work boots for the task at hand today. He reckoned they were probably the only thing saving him from a worse injury at the minute. Mike saw Steve's left hand fisting the dirt and knew he was not telling the whole truth. Knowing his next move was clear but not sure how Steve was going to take it, he spoke tentatively.

"Steve? Listen to me. We've got to get your foot out of there fast and the only way we're going to be able to do that is for me to go and get help. I need someone to pull you out while I lift the concrete."

Mike's fears were right as Steve's face darkened at the prospect of a lengthy time stuck in Mr. Alexander's grave with his vivid imagination and on his own.

"No Mike. We can try again. We'll get it this time, really."

"STEVE! I'm not trying that again on my own. Now it's even worse trapped than it was and you're not fooling me that's it's not hurting worse than it was either. Besides ... I'm not going to go far. I'll drive down to the gate and get the man from the hut to come and help me. I'll be gone less than ten minutes, ok?"

Steve sighed heavily and listened to Mike's reasoning. _If he was only getting the man from the gate hut then he wouldn't be that long. He could handle that. After all, just like Mike said, there was no-one else in the graveyard except them. Everything else was just in his head. Sure ... he'd be fine._ Nodding agreeably, he spoke courageously.

"Ok ... Ok sure. You can get him but what if ... what if he's not there? ... I mean what then?"

"Let ME worry about that if it happens, ok? Either way, I promise I won't leave you for long, alright?"

Trusting the older man as always implicitly, he nodded reluctantly.

"Ok ... But if Mr. Alexander starts tugging on my foot, you're gonna hear me yelling from all the way down at the gate, you hear me?"

Mike laughed and then patted the young man's shoulder but hesitated about leaving all the same.

"You ah ... You sure you're going to be alright?"

"Yeah course! Besides I have Mr. Alexander to keep me company, right?" he added humorously, however it didn't feel right after he said it and both partners looked anxiously at each other before Steve spoke again purposefully.

"Well go ON! I'll be fine. I'm just going to stick around here and wait for you ..." he tried again to ease the tension and this time it worked as he drew a smile from the older man.

Mike swatted at him for his bad pun but added in return as he stood up and turned to leave.

"Ok ... I won't be long. Oh and Steve? ..."

Steve looked up knowing from all his years as Mike's partner that another pun was coming.

"What?"

"Sit tight, huh?" Mike added chuckling as a handful of soil came flying in his direction catching the back of his trousers as he headed back up the slope.

Steve lay back and chuckled at Mike's parting words and then listened again to the sounds of Mike's hurried departure. The sun clouded again and an unnatural breeze blew over him and made him shiver. He loosened the cloth from his wound and took it away and then gingerly felt the cut. The bleeding appeared to be easing and so he dropped the cloth to his chest and lay breathing heavily as he listened for sounds all around him. He almost expected to hear the same song from earlier as his mind started to play tricks now that he was fully alone but there was just eerie silence around him. The trees rustling in the late afternoon breeze, an odd bird call, a rustle of grass ... Wait! No that wasn't grass rustling. It sounded like long grass being stood on and trudged through. But Mike had just left! He heard a twig snap as if it had been stood on and the sounds grew closer to where he lay trapped. He wondered if it was an animal of some sort as Mike had surmised earlier. He suddenly wished that he had his gun with him somehow. Reaching his hand gingerly down along his side, he felt for the handle of the spade and brought it up to lie across his chest just in case. Feeling slightly stupid for being scared of the unknown and for letting his imagination get the better of him for the umpteenth time today he found his voice and yelled out cautiously.

"HELLO? Is there somebody there? "

No answer came and Steve felt his mouth go dry. Feeling that maybe Mike was playing games with him, he half smiled and shouted up even more tentatively.

"Very funny Mike. You got me. Ok? Now quit playing around, alright?"

Still no voice replied and yet something or someone was definitely coming closer to where he was. He held the spade handle purposefully ready to swing if necessary as the light footsteps seemed very close now. He almost held his breath as he heard the footsteps stop and then watched anxiously as an elderly woman's face suddenly appeared over the slope and looked down at him. He startled and stopped the spade mid-swing as he felt himself move back into the soil behind him instinctively.

Shaking now from head to foot he watched as the elderly lady gasped with shock and spoke shakily.

"Oh my Goodness young man. What happened? Are you ok down there?"

 **A/N: Firstly sincere apologies for the delay in updating my stories. My youngest daughter has been very ill with a bad tummy bug and I ended up in Hospital with her for twenty four hours as she got so dehydrated. Since she recovered and came home the bug has gone through the whole family mercilessly so I have been busy nursing instead of writing! Also sincere apologies to all the writers who have been posting and updating this past week. Due to the dreaded tummy bug I have also fallen severely behind with my reading and reviewing but I do hope to catch up this week as things improve hopefully! I have not abandoned you all ;-) We are so blessed to have writers currently updating stories very fast on the site. Unfortunately with five kids, I can never update that fast, I'm sorry to say ... I can only promise to update as time and real life allows but I want to thank all those who always support my updates with their patience and kind words. You are all treasured as** **I do understand how annoying it must be to wait so long for my updates. I can only hope that when they do come they are worth waiting for! ;-)  
**


	8. Chapter 8

**Digging Up The Past**

Chapter 8

Steve remained staring blankly at his unexpected visitor and then finally found his voice.

"Who ... who are you and ... where did ... did you come from?"

The old lady looked blankly back and scrunched her face before tapping at her left ear in a frustrated fashion. She then shouted loudly.

"What did you say, young fellow? This blasted hearing aid of mine is acting up at the minute. You'll have to speak up I'm afraid."

"I ASKED where you CAME FROM?" Steve shouted back and winced as the pain seemed to sear through his ankle again briefly.

The old lady smiled as she finally seemed to understand the question and answered plainly.

"Oh, I came from the grave just a bit over there, near the far wall ... Are you hurt young man? I knew that someone was going to have an accident here someday. I told Harry that, only the other day ..." the elderly lady ranted wildly but Steve failed to answer as his jaw dropped and he started breathing heavily.

He could almost feel the blood drain from his face as he heard her answer and he started repeating to himself under his breath.

"This is just my imagination. She's not really there. Mike will be back soon. Hold it together Keller. You're just letting this place get to you."

He closed his eyes and reopened them slowly hoping the disturbing vision would have somehow disappeared but to his dismay the older lady was still standing slightly above him, this time looking even more concerned than before.

"OH MY! You ARE in a sorry state. Is your foot stuck in that grave?"

Feeling awkward not answering whoever it was, he swallowed hard and nodded.

"Yeah ... But my friend's gone for help ... Did you ... did you say you were talking to ... HARRY? "

"What? Ooh ... I need to get this blasted thing fixed." she ranted again and adjusting the earpiece a couple more times she smiled and spoke again. "Oh, that's got it ... what did you say again, young fellow?"

Sweat was starting to break out across Steve's forehead as he spoke again determinedly, wondering if it were even possible for this imaginary vision to know his late Grandfather.

"YOU know HARRY?"

"Oh yes. Such a lovely man. He and I are old friends seeing as we both spend so much time here ..." she added, laughing playfully.

Steve dry swallowed again and felt his heart rate quicken and wished Mike would arrive back soon. Finding himself repeating her words, he stuttered incredulously.

"You ... you spend a lot of time here?"

"Oh yes ... I saw you last week working on the grave just up on the top there ..."

A cold shiver ran down Steve's spine and he felt suddenly light headed. He laid his head back against the soil and breathed deeply. Once more under his breath he muttered to himself.

"This can't be happening. Maybe I got concussed? Yeah ... yeah that's probably it ... I did hit my head ..."

The old lady's voice broke through his thoughts again as she asked another question and looked at him, readjusting her hearing aid once more and scowling in frustration.

"Oh Dang! I think this has gone again. What are you saying? You know you don't look too good. Can I fetch you some water? I think I still have some left over there."

Steve stopped muttering and stared at her in confusion.

"You have WATER over there?"

"Oh yes! I always bring some to water the flowers I planted."

Those words sunk in slowly and Steve studied her closely, as realization gradually dawned and he began to understand more clearly.

"Wait a minute. Did you say the flowers you just PLANTED? "

"Yes, on the grave over there I just told you about. It's my parents and my brother's grave. Young man did you hit your head? Only you sound very confused. I think you might be concussed ..."

Steve started to smile as the older lady's original statement suddenly took on a whole new meaning and he realized he had taken her up wrong.

"So you were TENDING a grave over there? "

"YES! Young man, have you a headache? Are you seeing double?"

Steve started to chuckle uncontrollably at his own stupidity which only made his elderly visitor even more concerned.

"Good gracious! I do hope your friend comes back with help soon ... Maybe I should try to get down there to you. You do look unwell ..."

As the older lady started looking around for a way down to the afflicted young man, Steve on hearing her words, sobered rather quickly and decided he had better explain why he was behaving strangely.

"No ... no I'm alright. Really, I ah ... I just misunderstood you for a minute back there. I don't think you should attempt to come down here Ma'am. It's NOT SAFE ... "

Thankfully she seemed to hear Steve and decide against her actions, so Steve questioned her some more.

"Have you been HERE all day?"

"I've been here for a good while I guess. I come every Saturday. "

 _She comes every Saturday! Well that explains how she saw me tending my parents' grave last week._ Thinking about something else that puzzled him though he asked her another question.

"Ma'am, if you don't mind me asking, how did you get here? I mean there are no other cars parked here."

Straining closer as if to hear better, the older lady laughed and answered sweetly.

"Oh good gracious ... I don't drive any more young man. My eyes are about as good as my ears! No, my neighbor drives me here every Saturday morning. There's a turn style entrance just near the wall over there and then later on Harry drives me home ..."

"Oh, ok ... But ... but who is this Harry? "

"Why he's the caretaker here. You must have seen him if you passed by the hut at the gates. He's very nice. He lives in town and drops me home every week when he locks up."

Steve grinned wider as the lady's words all began to make sense. He couldn't resist chuckling as he thought about what he had assumed earlier and was suddenly glad Mike hadn't been there to witness it. He wouldn't have lived THAT down in a hurry.

"Ma'am, no offense intended but do you really feel safe out here on your own? I mean it's a little well ... on the creepy side over on this side of the cemetery and ah ... there's no one else about ..."

Steve's well meaning question was cut short by a hearty laugh.

"Oh goodness no! Truth is I feel safer here among the dead than among the living in my own neighborhood sometimes ... Besides ... I always have my faithful walking stick with me ... and Harry keeps an eye on me from time to time" she added, waving the said stick in the air as if to show her prowess at using it in her defense.

Steve had to chuckle at the sight of the plucky, elderly lady proving herself fearless and found himself nodding in agreement.

"Yeah well I ... I guess you have a valid point there ..."

Steve studied the older lady for a few moments thinking there was something very vaguely familiar about the woman but he couldn't quite put his finger on where if anywhere at all, their paths would have crossed before. He also thought it was quite sad that this elderly lady would rather spend her Saturdays in a graveyard than with her family and friends. To Steve's keen detective's eye, it gave him a brief profile of someone quite nostalgic and perhaps lonely. He tried to figure out for himself how old she probably was, being far too polite to ask the question outright and he figured she was most likely at first guess somewhere in her early eighties. Deciding that it would help to take his mind off the increasing pain in his ankle, at least until Mike got back, he probed a little further.

"Ma'am, have we ... met before? Only you look very familiar to me."

The older lady scrunched her face and Steve knew instantly her hearing aid was giving trouble again.

"What's that? " she responded to no surprise to Steve.

"I was WONDERING ... if we've MET BEFORE? You look very FAMILIAR to me, Ma'am."

The lady seemed to lean a little closer and study Steve unnervingly for several seconds before shaking her head decidedly.

"No young man. I don't believe we have. You're not from around here are you? I haven't seen you here before until last week ..."

"I used to be ... I ah ... GREW UP in Modesto. I live in SAN FRANCISCO now though."

"Oh I love San Francisco! Such a wonderful place to live ..."

Steve smiled at his new companion's excitement and enthusiasm for the place that he too had come to cherish however his smile was short lived as the concrete his foot was stuck in seemed to move slightly and squeezed his foot a little more. He bit back the yell that rose in his throat for fear he would startle the elderly lady. He did however make an extra point to look around and listen for signs of Mike returning. He began to feel an agonizing pain starting to build in his ankle where the concrete was digging in on both sides putting intense pressure on his ankle bone.

The pain was starting to almost take his breath away, so he tried to shift a little to make his position more bearable but as he moved, another deluge of soil broke from behind him and cascaded over his shoulders as he shrugged it off and shuddered as he thought of how many more creepy crawlies he had unwittingly unleashed now over his body again. As the soil fell, the elderly lady let out an unmerciful scream and started to cry out.

"OH DEAR! ... HELP! ... HELP! "

As Steve shrugged the soil off him as best he could, he called out to calm her.

"Hey ... HEY! MA'AM? It's OK. I'm alright. "

"Oh dear I ... I thought it was going to bury you ... Perhaps you shouldn't move like that again young man ... at least until ... help comes ... "

Steve could see how alarmed his recent incident had made the older lady and felt sorry for worrying her so much. She seemed to be shaking and so he tried to convince her that he was alright, despite the fact that something was again crawling unnervingly now across the back of his neck and his ankle was starting to throb and he felt worryingly that the blood flow to it was starting to become constricted.

"Yeah ... Yeah I think you're right about that! Hey, look I'm ok. Really. "

The elderly lady kept looking around in a panic wondering when help was going to get there and seemed overly concerned. Trying to take both their minds off his current predicament he decided to ask the one question that he felt would ease his mind and hopefully prove to himself and then ultimately Mike that he had not been hearing things in this unsettling place all day.

"Ma'am, do you mind if I ask you if you were ... SINGING earlier?"

The lady seemed to blush and become flustered and started shifting uncomfortably where she stood, leaning against her walking stick.

"Oh my! Oh good gracious, how embarrassing ... Yes I ... I often sing while I'm here. It well ... it takes my mind off being here alone I guess. "

Her flustering was somewhat endearing but also a huge relief to Steve. _He HADN'T been hearing things._

"That last song you were ah ... singing ... What was it?"

"Oh dear! I don't know ... I think it was ... Oh, but that was way before your time young man. You really wouldn't know it ..."

Steve was now becoming desperate to keep his mind off his ankle so he persisted.

"How did it go again Ma'am ... please? I ... I thought I recognized it somehow ... "

The older lady blushed visibly again but then having been asked so politely, she acquiesced and started singing softly the first line of the song.

*"I love you so much it hurts me ... Darlin' that's why ... I'm so blue ..."

A strange déjà vu moment seized Steve as she sang and almost without thought he proceeded to speak the next lines.

" ... I'm so afraid to go to bed at night ... Afraid of losing you ..."*

The sudden unnerving interruption halted the lady's song and she stared in astonishment at the trapped young man below her.

"Good Gracious young man!That was way before your time. How on earth do you know the words of that song? ..."

Steve barely registered her question. The song had transported him to another place and time and in his head he saw the garden wall and the familiar surroundings of his old family home. He remembered the old swing where he spent so much time sitting and swinging to and fro and the sound of that song drifting in the breeze from the adjoining garden. He saw the large kitchen window where his Mother could be seen working inside and the whole remembered scene caused his heart to beat a little faster. His eyes began to mist of their own accord and he wasn't sure if it was from the pain that was now throbbing through his foot so mercilessly or from the clarity of his memory and the inevitable unsettling feelings it evoked.

Seeing the young man's face pale, his demeanor become so disturbed and his breathing labor, the older lady became alarmed again.

"Oh dear! You've gone as white as a sheet young man. I have some sweet tea in a flask. I'll go fetch it ..."

As his memories flooded back and then receded just as quickly, his companion's words slowly sunk in and he didn't want her to leave. He suddenly had too many questions. Watching her start to move, he shouted out in desperation .

"WAIT MA'AM! I never GOT your NAME."

Turning back slightly, she smiled and spoke softly.

"It's Muriel ... Muriel Turner. And what's your name young man? "

Her name brought more long forgotten feelings to the fore and between not being prepared for such memories to resurface and the pain pulsating right up his leg now that was causing his head to swim and feel lightheaded, he swallowed hard as he stuttered out the answer.

"My name is Steve ... Steve Keller. I think ... I think we ... we used to be neighbors ..."

At those words, Muriel Turner's face this time turned a ghostly shade of white and she stared incredulously at him some more.

"OH MY! OH MY! I think we both need that tea. I'll ... I'll be right back ... Just hold on ... I won't be a minute or two."

Steve didn't want her to leave. _Not now._ There were too many things he needed to ask her. He bolted forward ignoring the further slide of soil behind him that his sudden movement created and he called up as he heard her footsteps depart.

"NO WAIT! Please don't go yet. MRS. TURNER? COME BACK! ... "

Before he could yell a second time, his sudden movement once more shifted the concrete and it moved again crushing his foot unbelievably. This time he couldn't bite back the unmerciful yell that came from his lips as he now felt his foot starting to go numb and his head spun alarmingly. He felt the colour this time drain from his face and dazzling spots appeared before his eyes. He shook his head to try and clear them as he lost sight and sound of his recent visitor. He slumped back involuntarily, feeling unable to hold himself up any longer. Behind him to his left he heard a new scrambling sound and heard Mike's voice shout his name. He felt very close to passing out and couldn't get his voice to work properly to answer back. He frowned as one of the last coherent thoughts that went through his head was that with his visitor gone, it would appear to Mike as if he were seeing and hearing things again.

More scrambling followed and Steve felt his eyes close of their own accord. He could no longer feel his foot and that worried him a great deal. He heard someone land beside him and his partner's concerned voice followed as he felt one hand cup his cheek softly and another assess his ankle.

"STEVE! Steve, wake up. I'm BACK! I've got help with me. We're going to get you out of there. Just hold on. STEVE? Look at me ... Everything's going to be alright ... STEVE? Can you hear me?"

Steve struggled to force his eyes open and to make his voice work as he stammered almost incoherently.

"She was here Mike ... The lady who was singing ... She's real Mike. I ... I KNOW her ..."

Mike startled as he heard Steve's alarming words. Looking around he saw no-one and started examining Steve's head wound again, as he noticed it had come up in quite a raised bump around the gaping cut since he had seen it last. Putting the back of his hand against Steve's forehead next to check for a temperature, he frowned as he spoke soothingly.

"Steve, take it easy. I think you've got a concussion. Hold still while we get you out. "

"No ... No Mike. I'm serious. She's REAL. Her name is Muriel. She was here talking to me ... Please believe me ... If you don't, then just ask Harry ... "

Mike scowled even more. _Now he wants me to ask his late Grandfather! His head injury must be worse than I thought._

"Ok, ok ... I believe you." he lied for the sake of calming the young man down. "Quieten down now while we just take another look at the foot ..."

More scrambling came from behind him and a second man appeared down the slope as Mike started issuing instructions to him. Steve felt blackness skim around his vision as he closed his eyes and felt himself starting to succumb to the darkness against his will. The pain was too much! As the urgent hands started working around his lower body, he managed to utter one last terrifying, mumbled phrase before the blackness won out.

"Mike ... I ... I can't ... feel my foot any ... more ..."

Mike heard Steve's words and watched in horror as his young partner passed out and slumped sideways.

"STEVE! ..."

He wanted to rush to him and try to bring him back around but Steve's last sentence meant that circulation to his foot was now being restricted and he needed to get his foot released first before he could try to rouse him. In another way it might serve their purpose for him not to be conscious while they got him out quickly. With both men in place, Mike lifted the concrete with the shovel handle, putting all his weight down on it to lift it away from Steve's foot as much as he could while the other man got behind the downed man and with his two hands under Steve's arms, he easily lifted him and pulled him free of the grave and then as Mike released the concrete, he took Steve's legs, being careful to avoid the afflicted foot and they lifted him to the safety of the bank to their left and proceeded to set him down gently on the grass.

The man from the Gate hut was visibly shaken by what had happened and spoke urgently to Mike.

"Oh God ... you better get that boot off that foot before it starts to swell. I'm ... I'm real sorry. I never thought this would happen. Didn't he see the warning signs I put up?"

Mike sent one of his famous Stone glares across at the man beside him and spoke.

"Could I give you just one piece of friendly advice Sir? If you're going to put up a sign warning people about subsidence, then DON'T put it up in the soil that's subsiding! The sign had already fallen over and was unreadable before Steve stepped down onto that slope and once he was down there, there was no way back up. "

Seeing the other man's embarrassment increase, Mike frowned as he then concentrated on trying to ease the boot off his partner's foot as gently as he could, as it had already swollen quite a bit. Finally getting the boot free, Mike scowled as he pulled the sock off it and saw the worrying bruising that had already started to manifest around the ankle bone on both sides. He was suddenly glad that Steve had been out of it for the boot removal but at least the foot still was a pale skin colour so he hoped that meant that the circulation hadn't been cut off for very long and that it hadn't caused any lasting damage. The foot did look nasty all the same and Mike knew a hospital visit was definitely on the cards. It was going to need an x-ray at the very least.

As he came now up to assess Steve and try to rouse him, a movement off to his left drew his attention and an elderly lady came into his line of sight carrying a tall black flask and leaning on a wooden walking stick with the other.

"Oh Harry! Did you get him out? I brought some sweet tea. I thought it might come in handy. Oh dear ... is he alright? I only left him for a minute or two."

"Thanks Muriel ...Now, now, don't worry yourself. We have him out. He just passed out that's all. We just need to get him seen to next. Don't concern yourself unnecessarily now. Everything's going to be alright."

When Mike saw the lady approaching and heard the two names Steve had mentioned being used he looked up in astonishment at both of them and then back down at his unconscious partner. _Steve had been right! He hadn't been seeing and hearing things after all._ Hearing a low moan erupt from Steve's lips, Mike gave his full attention back to the young man who appeared to be coming back around.

 **A/N: *Lyrics come from** " **I Love You So Much It Hurts** **Me"** **a song written and recorded by Floyd Tillman in 1948 ... I just borrowed these four lines to help my story line along...  
**

 **To my guest reviewer who worried that Steve would grow roots because I had left him trapped in the grave so long ... lol ...I am pleased to report he is now officially uprooted ... :-D**

 **Thank you to everyone reading and following this story and for all the wonderful reviews it has received. Sorry for the slow update. Due to Holiday plans I will be offline next week so sadly may not get many more updates if any posted on my three current ongoing stories but I hope to at least get some written while I'm away for posting when I return. My heartfelt thanks go out to all my loyal and supportive readers and fellow writers. You all inspire me and make this site the pleasure it is to be a part of...x**


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